


Not Guilty

by madsdobby



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Vulgar Language, choni duh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-04-23 19:16:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19157284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madsdobby/pseuds/madsdobby
Summary: Cheryl learns her lesson dealing with gangs.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> so originally this was a delena fic i thought out several years ago and never posted it but i thought it would be more interesting with choni so i changed a few things and i’m excited to get this out there! 
> 
> chat with me on twitter: @madsdobby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> people have been saying they haven’t been getting notified when i post a new chapter sooooo don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss an update!! :)

Cheryl watches silently as her client fumbles with their thumbs. When the judge clears his throat the room quiets down, however there still are a few whispers from the gallery behind the two. Flashes go off, the redhead not even batting an eyelash being used to cameras by now. 

"The jury finds the defendant guilty of all charges."

Relief washes over the redhead. She pushes back the black chair she's occupied to stand before the court. Before she could even brush her skirt down, Charlotte envelops her in a tight hug. 

She's tiny, she could barely reach around her torso. Could you imagine a petite soul as such strangling her six foot husband out in the open in their garden? 

"Thank you so much Cheryl," the small brunette cries leaving stains on her black blazer resulting in the redhead gently pulling her off.

"If we do not maintain justice, justice does not maintain us," Cheryl Blossom recites for the sixty-third time. 

***

"Baby, I'm home!" Cheryl yells out as she pulls off her coat to place it on the coat rack beside the door. It's been such a long day, she can't wait to just snuggle with her baby tonight under her cozy silk sheets. 

Cheryl walks her keys and wallet deeper into the condo. She places them on a coffee table in the den. 

"Cheryl Blossom, age 27, just delivered her consecutive sixty-third case win not long ago today," the preppy annoying news reporter sounded from her large television mounted on the wall. She walks around to her black chesterfield couch leaning into it as she grabs the remote control from the arm of the couch. She mutes the tv before plopping onto it sinking in slightly. 

"Sven!" Cheryl shouts across the large den. Where is he?

Once she hears paws slap the tiled floor a wide smile graces her face. The highlight of the day.  
She swiftly gets down to her knees. She knows she shouldn't wearing this hundreds of dollars designer skirt but she honestly don't even care one bit. 

Cheryl bursts into fits of giggles as he leaves several slobbery licks all over her face. "I've missed you so much buddy," she whispers to her little white maltese. 

When he barks excitedly in response, the redhead holds up a pointer finger to her chapped lips to silence him.

"You're going to wake up Veronica," she whispers. Veronica is the only true friend Cheryl has here in New York. She lives a floor beneath her so obviously she can't exploit or deceive Cheryl for the money she already has. Plus she’s super young and the redhead likes giving helpful advice.

She tilts her wrist over her watch reading about eleven pm. She's so exhausted. The excitement to be in bed with a full tummy so intriguing to her right about now. "You hungry Sven?" Cheryl asks running her hands over his soft belly wanting to feed him a treat.

Cheryl had gotten him as a birthday present when she turned eighteen from her parents. Sven has been through hell and back with her from irrelevant high school drama to her first boyfriend that led to a marriage to her thriving and doing what she adores no matter the mounds of stress she receives. 

He jumps up once as a response and she set off to get him some food. Upon the empty water and food bowl her eyebrows raise confused, "did Ronnie not come up to feed you?" Sven whines and the redhead mumbles her apologies. She pours his food into his bowl watching him dive in after the water is poured as well. She makes a note to call Veronica first thing in the morning assuming she's out clubbing on this late Friday. 

Cheryl swings open her fridge filled with all her favorite fruits, vegetables, and all the vegan substitutes she could get her hands on. She settles for a salad drenching it in vegan ranch dressing. She strolls pass Sven into her living room taking a seat on her couch. She flips through the channels until she finds a rerun of Friends. 

Soon the episode is over and she's up rinsing off her plate before setting it in her empty sink.  
She walks over to the metal stairwell stopping for a second to take off my heels lazily advancing her way up the stairs leaving them at the bottom.

When she reaches the top of the stairwell, she turns into the bathroom shutting the door behind herself. She stares into the clean mirror in front if her. She pulls her hair tie out of her hair so it could lay loosely around her shoulders. She runs her hands through my hair, messaging her scalp soothingly. 

She takes off her blazer dropping it to the floor followed by every other article of clothing on her body. She places her Patek Philippe Nautilus watch in her jewelry dish made of glass by the sink.

She hums at the feeling of her feet against the cold tile steps leading into her shower. Once she steps her perfectly manicured but also sore toes into her glass shower she can finally truly relax. Swinging the glass door closed behind her when Sven saunters in. A long breath escapes her mouth as she clicks the button that streams out the hot water on her skin. 

Cheryl reaches for her cherry almond shampoo and out of the corner of her eye she sees Sven jumping like a lunatic which is completely out of character so she quickly turns off the water. 

"Sven, what is it?" Cheryl questions concerned when his deafening barks echo throughout the bathroom. She wraps a red towel around her body as she steps out slightly drying her feet on her small rug. When she walks over to her noisy dog he quiets down and her eyes widen as she takes in his fearful eyes. 

Sven suddenly dashes out of the bathroom restarting his loud yelps. This hasn't ever happened before, however she has a feeling an intruder is in her home. 

Luckily she's prepared herself for this. She knew one day he would come back for her. She briskly throws on her satin pink robe that lay hung on a hanger outside the shower. Her damp body takes a peek outside the bathroom into her thankfully unoccupied bedroom. She scurries quietly into her bedroom.

Sven's barks have suddenly stops and her heart lurches. She's praying that her baby isn't being hurt out there. She cracks the door open a little more taking a brave glance out into the short dark hallway down the stairwell. The light shining from the tv helps make out a figure. The person is in all black even wearing a black ski mask. When another dark figure emerges into light Cheryl audibly gasps. Their heads pop up in her direction. A deep and unrecognizable voice shouts, "GET HER!" 

All she can hear is the beating of her heart ringing in her eardrums. There's more people in her house than she thought. When a tall figure curtly stares at her through angry hooded eyes at the top of the stairwell the redhead frantically slams the door shut desperately needing to get to her bedside nightstand where she has her handgun hidden. Cheryl curses herself for having such a spacious bedroom. The heavy footsteps against the slick tile getting closer and closer. 

Her bedroom door slams open swinging into the wall behind it causing her to let out a terrified scream. She leaps onto her bed letting out a strangled breath. The redhead crawls her way across the made bed of red silk, one hand grazing the nightstand until the sheets start being drug from beneath her. 

In an instant the large intruder is on top of her. She can feel every inch of him through her thin nightgown. His grip on her hips are harsh and she hisses pulling the arm back from the nightstand to ram her elbow into his face. 

He groans and his grip slightly loosens. She uses this as leverage to scramble to the nightstand again. Her hand grips the edge before being dragged back down for the second time. However, this time the pressure from her grip knocks the nightstand over. The $500 lamp shattering sucking the room into darkness. 

The man roughly flips her over into her back. His eyes are furious and when they turn dark with lust she starts to plead with him, "please, don't do this!"

He only wickedly sniggers placing his large hands on either side of her head. He trails his finger down from her sternum to cup her center. She shudders in disgust then hikes up a knee to make crushing contact with his groin. 

He pain-riddingly descends on top of her clutching his sensitive area. Cheryl shoves him off rushing over to the nightstand forgetting about the many pieces of shattered glass until they plunge into her feet. She curses under her breath as she rapidly pushes the nightstand up a bit to slide the whole compartment carrying the gun out. 

As soon as her hand wraps around the grip of the gun she hears another click behind her. "Put the gun down sweetheart," a sharp voice says calmly. The crushing sound of glass meeting shoe fills her ears signaling the person getting closer. 

"You okay?" A softer voice sounds to the far right of her so she curiously looks over. The guy she kneed on her bed was still holding himself as he stood shaking his head yes. That guy significantly hovered over the one with the soft voice. The small one was definitely female Cheryl thought making out the tighter fitting clothes and small frame in the dim room. There's something bawled in her arms. She squints to try to get a better look and when she hears a familiar whine she knows that that woman has Sven.

"LAST TIME BEFORE I BLOW YOUR BRAINS OUT! DROP THE FUCKING GUN YOU DUMB CUNT!" The voice behind her booms getting louder as the muzzle touches the back of her head. 

The redhead's lip trembles defeatedly as she sets the gun down in the sea of glass. "Did you hurt him? Did you hurt my dog?" Cheryl questions shakily. 

"He's fine," a fourth voice resonates. She can't see this person, but by the sound of the voice it's no question another man. 

"Put your hands up," the gun holders voice demands pressing the gun further in her wet red tresses. She fought too hard to die now. So she does as she's told, putting her hands up trying not to quiver in fear but fails miserably. 

"We have to get out of here before the cops show. We've been here too damn long," the female's voice reasons. 

"You're right," the gun drops from Cheryl's head along with a gasp of relief from her lips. 

Sven barks. The small dog makes its way out of the intruder's arms onto the redheads bed then jumps into Cheryl's arms. The soft fur on him warms her heart licking away her worries even with this insane dilemma unfolding right behind her. 

"I-I love you bud," the redhead smiles holding her favorite thing in the world to her chest. Suddenly her dog is ripped away from her. A scream of horror flying from her lips when Sven is thrown into the wooden headboard. 

Following immediately after Cheryls on her feet shoving the man holding the weapon that could end her, but she doesn't even give a damn. The adrenaline pumping through her veins so strong she can't feel the glass stabbing into the bottoms of her feet. 

"Don't touch him," Cheryl threatens through bared teeth. She feels like she's been punched in the gut when he points the gun over at the little unmoving maltese lying on her bed. 

"One more word," he menacingly whispers. 

She stares into the gloomy green eyes making sure it's visible as pulls back her lips into her mouth holding her hands up in surrender. A tear falls from her eyes. She feels utterly helpless. She can’t stop the sobs escaping her mouth as she looks over at Sven. 

"We have to go," the woman's voice says again but more firmly than earlier. The man holding the gun walks away from her and past the third voice who she finally sets eyes on. He's the shorter of the other men and when he grabs onto her arm roughly jerking her forward she winces. The glass get lounged in deeper and deeper with every step. 

She tries to stifle each involuntary whimper, yet she's too exhausted. "Shut her up already," her almost rapist groans in front of them. When they've made it down the dreadful stairs the smallest of them all grabs onto her arm stopping them momentarily.

A piece of tape is placed across her mouth and she frantically searching the women's eyes for mercy begging her to help her. She's a woman as well and maybe she'll somehow find some sort of compassion then help her out? Her eyes are emotionless startling Cheryl and the chocolate eyes of the woman are the last thing she sees before she enveloped into darkness.

***

Cheryl dryly groans as her tired lids slowly blink open into darkness. The rush of a headache going straight to her head growing when the smell of dirt rudely invades her nostrils. 

Oh my god, has she been buried alive? 

"Well what the hell are we supposed to do now?" A faint familiar feminine voice aggressively asks. 

"I say we each take our rounds with her," another voice sounds smugly making Cheryl's skin crawl. She can't see a thing so she subtly tries to move her hands. The redhead doesn't know how close her captors are, but they do sound a good distance away from her so maybe she can flee to safety. Though, her wrist are bound tightly together. She assumes the skin around her wrist are raw considering the light burn as she slides them together to get a feel how tight they are exactly. Maybe she could wiggle her way out of them? With her new luck of course she can't. Way too tight.

"Definitely not doing that," she hears the woman's voice sound completely disgusted. 

"Tiny, you can go first," the man responds offering Cheryl up like she's a plate of butter that everyone gets their fair share at. Who are these people? What do they want with her? 

She keeps the nickname 'Tiny' in her head knowing this information will help her in the long run if she manages to make it out of here. The redhead assumes Tiny is the smallest man, the one that led her down the stares ignoring her cries of pain. 

"What did I tell you about that nickname? Stop calling me that shit," the female voice bites back surprising the clueless redhead. She makes note of the woman's nickname. 

"Guys shut up! Okay," the voice that Cheryl could never forget starts. The man who hurt her Sven, the man who held her s gunpoint. "So we're going to leave her ass in here until my dad's trial is over." 

"Jones, that's the dumbest shit you've ever said," the rapist scoffs before there's a ruckus. The sound of someone being shoved into a wall, the vibrations running down Cheryl's back against the rough wall she was placed against. Grains of dirt falling from above onto the redhead's exposed legs. 

"Don't you ever step to me like that ever again! Do you understand me?" Cheryl hears from across the unknown area. 

No one mutters a word for a view minutes. 

Someone clears their throat before quietly and hesitantly saying, "respectively Sweet Pea has a point. We can't just let her walk free. She'll snitch and we'll be behind bars with your old man," the third male speaks for the first time since she's awoken.

Suddenly it all makes sense. Some of the Southside Serpents boldly had kidnapped her, because she was the prosecutor against their drug lord, their frightening leader. And the guy that had threatened her with a gun was Forsythe's son. She knew she shouldn't have taken on this case. 

"You're on to something. Let's get rid of her," the son vocalizes and the sound of rustling feet rush over to her. 

Fuck. Not now! Cheryl tried to yell at the top of her lungs with all the strength she has left in her, but it goes to waste when she remembers the tape across her lips. The only sound coming from her is loud murmurs, however still not roaring enough to be heard from outside wherever she is being held.

She's taken by alarm when whatever was on her head is snatched off. Out of surprise she backs her head into the bricks behind her. Her head erratically starts throbbing and she wishes her hands weren't tied up so she could soothe the tender area. Her head feels damp although her hair touching the back of her neck is fully dry. 

Her eyes lazily looks up at the man hovering above her. Those evil green eyes staring back at her, this time less gloomy and more creepily satisfied. With his mask still on he remains hidden, a coward.

"How do you wanna die Blossom?" He suggests nonchalantly like asking her what she wants to eat out for dinner. “A gun to the head?" When the gun appears in sight she panics eyes wide and hurried breaths into the sticky tape. Her breaths can't go through so she begins repeated flaring her nostrils at a speedy rate making her lightheaded. Tears roll down her face onto her nightgown staining it as she hyperventilates.

A figure steps into light bending down beside this psychotic man who’s waving around a gun. Familiar chocolate eyes met hers ripping off the tape from her mouth. She knows her lips has drawn blood from the tingling feeling. 

Cheryl cries out at the burning sensation left at the bottom half of her face nonetheless gasping for air. "Let's try this again sweetheart," the green eyed man orders with a roll of his eyes. "Shot to the head? Or we could drown you in the river outside and leave you there? Maybe stab you to death?" 

She just stares at the man above her wordlessly. "Perhaps you need time to think?" The man gets up, walks over to the wooden door mumbling something about food then exits. 

She watches two others leave out the door. Her heart shakes frantically in her chest as she realizes who the person left standing in front of her. Tears well in her eyes, because he's finally got her all alone where no one can hear her screams. 

Cheryl panics roughly trying to free herself from the restraints. She eventually looks down at her legs in her agonizing struggle. They're also restrained by ropes. She can't do anything other than press her thighs together. 

When a door swings open stilling the man's advances Cheryl thanks god trying her best to scoot away from him. "Sweets! Come on!" The makes woman yells from the open door. "Fuck Tiny! You always gotta cockblock my ass," he grumbles after running to fingers up her pale legs making her shudder. 

Cheryl watches as he leaves past the woman. Her footsteps getting louder as she makes her way into the small room. She pulls on a drawstring hanging from the center of the ceiling next to a lightbulb causing the room to grow pitch black. Some light is coming from the darkness outside but not enough to make out anything. 

"Thank you," Cheryl utters genuinely for getting that pervert out of there, but also underlying trying again to get to the woman’s reasonable compassionate side of her brain to help her. Though she doesn't even get a second glance as the wooden door goes shut. 

The redhead stares into the darkness sobbing loudly not being able to hold it in anymore. She cries herself to sleep with her restrained hands sorely resting against her dirt covered thighs and back pressed against the grimy hard brick wall.


	2. Chapter 2

Cheryl sucks in a breath being awakened by the deep grumbles of her stomach. It's been three days since she'd been abducted from her home by the notorious gang, the Southside Serpents. Three days since she showered. Three days since she eaten anything or swallowed anything other than her spit and even that was beginning to dry out. She can barely keep her eyes open. 

With her aching back pressed against the bricks she tries to relieve the tension between her shoulder blades and spine by straightening herself. It doesn't help a bit as the shooting pain acquired with a slight numbness grows stronger so she chooses to hunch over to spare her back momentarily. She cries out a breath of pain into the empty space. There's absolutely no sound anywhere else. These Serpents must have her at a remote location. She hasn't heard much of anything other than the sound of birds chirping in passing every morning. 

By now she knows the inside of this rundown cabin-like building like the back of her hand. There's three poorly boarded up windows. Two across from her to the left and the other on the wall she occupies to her left as well. She's only able to see the grimy walls, two very old chairs, a small table under the window close to the door, and a stack of used wood, similar to the floor she's sitting on, running along the back corner a few feet beside her in the daytime when the sun is shining through. 

She sees a figure pass one of the windows creating a shadow causing her to turn her head to the left. They've come back to end her finally. She can't sit her rotting away one more day. She's been losing her sanity. When the door opens she whispers "just kill me already," hoarsely her throat now burning being the first time since she's mumbled a word in days. 

She's beyond shocked when the figure covered in black head to toe waltz in with a Walmart bag between their fingers. The figure is sporting the infamous serpent jacket. By the petite body frame and purple colored nails she knows that this person is Tiny. Also the pink hair peeking out the bottom of the ski mask is another dead giveaway. 

"It smells like piss in here," the woman grimaces plugging her nose. Cheryl rolls her eyes at the obvious instantly regretting the new pounding behind her eyelids. Like where did she expect her to relieve herself, there's no toilet in here and she can't exactly go outside either. Her hands and feet are bound. However she refused to sit sulking in her own urine. Managing to get up and walk carefully to the furthest corner of the room to do her business. The agony with each teeter of her restricted feet the glass still plunged into the bottoms of her feet. She had driven her back against the wall popped a pain ridden squat. She tried her best to maneuver her nightgown upward utilizing the brick wall to catch the silky material onto uneven areas. With her gown hoisted up she sighs after finally releasing herself after long hours of inner struggle. The sound of urine slapping onto the wood slipping through a small crack, splashing onto the back of her calf's, and even almost barely touching the backs of her feet as the tangy liquid pooled beneath her. 

She's drawn from her thoughts when Tiny starts spraying air freshener. The aroma of lavender fills the room vanquishing the tacky urine scent. Cheryl almost rethinks labeling the girl's idiocy. Tiny drops the plastic bag on the old wooden table near the door. 

Cheryl watches her pull out a full water bottle. The redhead is practically foaming at the mouth. She's been deprived of her natural necessities for too long. She tries to swallow failing seeming as her throat has drastically became a desert. Her saliva isn't able to form. 

Tiny's combat boots creak along the wooden panels with each step she takes. The water bottle being tossed from one hand to the next like a little joke to the pink haired abductor as she laughs at how Cheryl's head follows the bottle as if she's a cat chasing a ball of yarn. She wants to yell, bark, but she's utterly helpless. 

The woman drags one of the chairs closer to her plopping herself onto it. "You thirsty?" Tiny says a smug smirk resonating in her tone. Cheryl turns her head away from the girl. She won't be mocked. The redhead gasps when her chin is roughly yanked to face her captor. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Tiny nearly growls. 

Cheryl holds eye contact with the woman trying her best not to cower staring into her chocolate eyes defiantly. She watches as the pink haired woman's eyebrow quirks up intrigued. "That's what I like to see Red," Tiny chuckles and the redhead can evidently hear the smirk in her voice yet again. Slim tan fingers release her jaw to begin twisting off the top of the bottle. 

She holds out the water to her and the redhead looks up at her captor accusingly aware that she could have easily planted some kind of poison or drug inside. She knew she was screaming for death not long ago, but she can't go now. The pink haired woman huffs before taken a quick sip. Cheryl relaxes a bit. 

The woman grabs her chin surprisingly softer this time to tilt her head up faintly. As the water runs over her taut raw lips it stings, but that sensation is over weighed by the feeling of her dry mouth coming to life as the water travels down her throat. Her eyes squeeze shut, her pale bound hands coming up wrapping around the water bottle not caring that she's in a way holding hands with her captor. 

Soon all the water is sucked up by the redhead, the bottle shriveling as its gone empty. The water bottle is taken from underneath her hands right before Tiny stands from the chair to walk over to the barely standing table. She flicks the deflated water bottle into the plastic bag. 

She then pulls out a plastic container carrying some sort of white substance inside. When the woman makes her way over to Cheryl she realizes that inside the plastic container is a wheat tortilla wrap. The redhead let's out an extremely shaky breath. 

"I can't eat that," Cheryl states her voice wavering. The redhead begins to internally panic. This woman is surely going to force her to devour that meat and mayonnaise. After all these years of being a vegan she's certain that her body will react extremely negatively to the foreign taste.

"Well, I bought this shit with the money out of my pocket so you're gonna fucking have to," Tiny scoffs taking a seat on the creaking chair. 

"Please, I'm begging you," the redhead holds her bonded hands up pressing her palms together dismissing the scratching against her raw skin. 

"Bitch, I'm giving you food after you've been starved for days and you're not gonna accept it because it's not gourmet?" Cheryl eyes the chocolate eyes that are rolling with a look of distaste. Tiny pops open the container. 

"I'm vegan," the redhead let's the words roll of her tongue. It doesn't seem to phase the women one bit as she starts shoving the food towards the appalled redhead.

"You've taken everything away from me already! Let me have this one thing! Please!" Cheryl pleads turning her head away from the wrap placed in her face. 

The heavy smell of mayonnaise fades away allowing the lawyer to let out a thankful breath. "How long have you been a vegan?" Tiny asks taken Cheryl by shock. She looks up at the hooded figure with raised eyebrows. 

"What?" Cheryl mumbles assuming she clearly had misheard. 

"You heard what I said," Tiny jeers her eyes leaking of annoyance. She closes the wrap back into it's container setting it on her lap to cross her arms over her chest.

"Uh," Cheryl fumbles unsure if she even wants to start an ordinary conversation with her abductor, but not seeing a human in days makes her want to open up. "I grew up as a vegetarian and when I found out about veganism I converted. So most of my life," the redhead explains to the alarmingly curious woman.

Cheryl holds uncomfortable eye contact with the pink haired woman before watching her get up and walk back outside the door leaving it wide open. However, not long enough for the redhead to stand and make her grand escape. The woman is soon back with a old looking bucket. 

She sets it down by the table, "this is your pee bucket. Speaking of where have you been doing your business at?" Tiny looks around the room. Cheryl's eyes follow the unmissable trails of red footprints of now stained blood drawn from her feet over to the far corner of the compact room. 

"Fuck," the woman grimaces snatching the bucket up to place it onto of the redhead's business stain in the corner. Cheryl's eyes watch as Tiny comes over to her and kneels picking up one of the girl's tied together feet causing the other to lift automatically. Her nightgown rises up higher clumping up just above her thighs revealing her naked skin beneath. Cheryl hastily tries to cover her front with her elbows along with her bound arms. 

Although, Tiny isn't in the least interested as she's studying the bottoms of Cheryl's feet instead. The woman gasps at the sight leaving Cheryl completely flabbergasted. Tiny tugs on one piece receiving a hiss and a little kick from the redhead. However, when the piece is pulled out it burns at first, but the feeling quickly turns into a alleviated sensibility. Tiny wordlessly and gently places her feet down back onto the pitiful pool of stained blood. Is she finally feeling remorseful?

"Don't make me regret this," Tiny says warning dripping from her lips. As her hands reach out to touch the ropes untying them Cheryl looks on with her mouth gaped open dumbfounded. Is she really untying her? While the rope is loosening she begins to feel the sharp sting of rope burn along her ankles as the newfound breeze hits it. 

Cheryl presses her lips together fearing if she makes a sound that the blood flow restricting rope will by reknotted. Once her legs are completely free she wiggles her toes and rolling her ankles drawing out a insensible contempt sigh as the circulation begins to flow. 

The redhead looks over her feet in horror. There's dry blood stuck in between her toes seeping through. Blood is along the sides of her feet. She can't even distinguish where the red nail polish on her toenails comes to an end considering all the blinding red plastered everywhere. 

"Look Red, if you try anything you're dead and that's a promise," Tiny threatens reaching into her boot whipping out a knife. "This may not be what you're used to, but it would make one hell of an accessory," the small sneers placing the blade across Cheryl's throat. 

The redhead gulps causing the knife to be sunken a little deeper into her skin. As her eyes are wide and frightened staring at the girl crouching on top of her let's out a bellyful chuckle. These people are fucking insane.

When the girl begins making her way to standing Cheryl remembers that her legs are free. The redhead rapidly picks a leg up sliding it between the captor's legs and vigorously jams her foot into her abdomen, glass and all. Tiny wails at the swift jab stumbling backwards. With the newfound adrenaline pumping through her veins she hurriedly wobbles onto her feet after not using them like she's used to almost losing her balance, but she doesn't let that hinder her want for freedom. 

She struggles to push the door open with her bonded wrists restricting her hands from corporating. No. No! NO! Cheryl starts to get overwhelming frustrated. Before she has a chance to calm her mind a fistful of her hair is snatched up sending her flying into the table beside the door. The side of her hip bone crashes into the table knocking the wind out of her. The redhead's breathing growing more unsteady when Tiny presses her hips into hers with a knife pressing against her abdomen this time.

"You have such pretty hair," her captor states running her fingers along her collarbone. Cheryl shivers at the touch. When Tiny's hand circles around her head collecting all of her red tresses to one side she begins to panic. She doesn't have a clue to what's happening at the moment. This woman is being so gentle with her after she just kicked her in the stomach and tried to escape right after she warned her not to. Cheryl stares on even more stunned when the girl lifts her ski mask up to the bridge of her nose. Her lower face being on display for the first time. Her light brown skin is glistening, probably from the sweat underneath that knitted fabric inside the humid little cabin. 

The redhead's eyes explore the new tan skin. Her lips are pink and plump pulling up at it's corners to show off a smirk. Cheryl's heart beats a bit faster. She also makes a mental note on the beauty marks the woman has on the outsides of her lips. She can't wait to have her justice on these lunatics. 

Cheryl's eyes widen sucking in a breath when the girl gets extremely closer running her nose along her pulse point. She hasn't had anyone this close to her in seven years other than that man that tried to gruffly force himself upon her a few nights ago. However, this woman smells clean with a hint of cinnamon which is crazy intoxicating plus somehow even with a knife poking her side Tiny's touch is remarkably tender.

"You still smell like cherries," Tiny hums against her neck sending heat to the redhead's face. Cheryl's heart starts to hammer in her chest once the smaller woman's lips begin pressing hot open mouthed kisses down her neck. She can't figure out why she hasn't urged the woman to stop yet. The redhead bites down hard on her bottom lip to keep a moan at bay, because she doesn't want to spur on her captor's advances. But suddenly the knife comes up swiftly connecting with her hair briefly as she hacks off half of Cheryl's hair. 

Cheryl gasps once pieces of the long chunk falls onto her bound hands. "Don't start anymore stupid shit like that," Tiny warns trailing the knife against her throat. The redhead gives her a tearful nod watching as her red locks fall onto the ground. Tiny backs away from her warily. She pulls her shirt up exposing her smooth flat stomach along with it's shining bellybutton piercing. Although, Cheryl sees the small patches of blood and scraps just above her piercing from her foot moments ago. Her first instinct is to apologize for her violent behavior until she realizes the setting she's being forced in. She's the one, Cheryl Blossom, being held against her will and these people are most likely going to kill her.

She knows she should continue to fight, but she's exhausted without any kind of energy pumping through her body. Her legs feel like jello as she tiptoes back to her resident area of the small cabin. The room goes silent. She notices another wave of blood has trickled out of her feet when she spots new bloody footprints.

"Red, you gotta stop walking around. You're tracking blood everywhere," Tiny sighs before sitting in the chair furthest from the girl. Cheryl crosses her legs hoping the woman can't see up her gown. 

"Why am I here?" Cheryl questions up at her captor from across the room. She has a pretty good theory to why, but she wants to know for sure. 

It takes a minute before she responds, "FP Jones was brought to court. You being the lawyer for the prosecution wasn't good at all for FP or the gang in general considering you’re damn good. You have yet to lose a case and we knew you weren't going start now so we kidnapped you," Tiny explains taking a seat on the floor beside her chair to plunge her blade in the ground to carve something. 

"And when the trial is complete?"

"We kill you," Tiny says simply eyes on the wooden floor. 

"Are you aware that Forsythe Pendleton was the cause of an untimely death of a young minor?" Cheryl curiously pries. She's not sure why someone would stay by the side of a dangerous man. 

"FP," the woman rectify's, "he didn't kill anybody. If anyone is to blame it's those idiots down at the drug lab," her voice sharp and defensive. 

"Well he supplies the drugs, Forsythe brings them to the city," Cheryl says with conviction in her tone. 

"That minor should know better than to mess with that hefty stuff," Tiny brushes it off. 

"You know, his parents came to me in the most awful state. They were both very distraught and wanted justice," the redhead starts to get defensive after being interrupted by Tiny's annoyed scoff. 

"They just wanted a piece of what we make," Tiny stills the knife in the floorboard eyes connecting with the redhead's across the room.

"Yes, the family was struggling with money after the father was laid off, but I strongly believe that they'd rather have their son alive than all the money in the world. Also that bad cocaine was the first batch of drugs he'd ever consumed. His parents started fighting after his dad lost his job and that's why he turned to a bad solution to get through the pain," Cheryl says eyes looking back and forth between the woman's chocolate eyes unsure if Tiny was taking in the information or if it was going in and out the other ear. 

"Where's that family at anyways?" Tiny queries as she looks away from Cheryl to finish carving. 

"They're under the witness protection program," the redhead answers uncrossing her tingling legs shaking them then putting them under herself. 

"Cowards," she hears Tiny mumble under her breath. 

"False," Cheryl sighs aloud, "look at me," she holds up her bound wrists in defeat. She rests her head against the brick wall wanting to shut her eyes and take  a quick nap, but she's too afraid to being alone with her captor. The sun is shining so bright into the cabin. Cheryl's eyes start to involuntary close. 

***  
Cheryl's eyes snap awake at the sting being drawn to her face. Her eyes meet those dark green ones and she presses her back into the brick wall behind her wanting to seep through to disappear. "Wakey wakey princess," FP's son half-sings. 

She takes a look around the dark room, the only illumination coming from the small lightbulb in the center of the cabin. In her sleepy daze she can still make out three other hooded figures surrounding her. Cheryl swallows thickly causing her stomach to loudly growl. 

"Your hair looks really good short," he mocks running his fingers through it once. "So it's time for business," he begins to get interrupted by another one of Cheryl's loud stomach growls. Fury is awoken in his eyes, sending a fist into the redhead's abdomen. Cheryl wails out dry heaving as she rolls over on her side. Tears sting her eyes threatening to drop as she begs him to not continue. She covered her stomach with her elbows curing into a ball. Her ass her being smacked making her jump out off her skin. "What the fuck Sweet Pea," their leader gripes annoyed. 

"Have you decided what death you would like sweetheart?" He asks tucking her short hair behind her ear. Cheryl can't even open her eyes, the excruciating pain becoming to much to bare. He trails the tip of his gun along her jaw and tears silently stream down her face.

"Am I going to be able to fuck her before she's dead or what? Your dad's trial is a month away. We don't have to kill her now," Sweet Pea complains impatiently. 

"Your whining is getting on my last nerve boy!" The green eyed man groans, "but I'm so tired of looking at her while my dad is rotting away! Pass me that rope!"

Cheryl turns over frantically desperately trying to cling onto her stomach. The shortest male tosses over the rope Tiny had untied this morning. Speaking of the small woman Cheryl glances over at her, their eyes meeting. Though Tiny drops contact immediately bringing the redhead's attention back to the rope. 

"Pick her up!" Forsythe's son orders. Cheryl is snatched off the ground and thrown over the shoulder of the one called Sweet Pea. Her now dingy nightgown rides up revealing her ass to her room of abductors. She squirms when a rough hand starts to run up her leg. Her hands are tied so she can't do anything about it and she cries out powerless. The hand only makes it to the back of her knee after being swatted away. "That's disgusting," Tiny's voice makes an appearance after being weirdly quiet. For some reason the man listens to her letting a relieved breath fall from Cheryl's lips. 

"We're gonna hang her?" Another voice sounds surprised. 

"Why the fuck not? We have a rope," Cheryl hears the nonchalantness in the leaders tone. She begins to kick and scream for her life, thrashing and elbowing Sweetpea in his back. 

Laughter fills the room stilling the redhead as she thinks on confused. "No one can hear you for miles," Sweet Pea chuckles bringing his palm forcefully down on her backside. She cries out at the sting her eyes welling up with tears. 

No one says anything, but Cheryl can hear the movements around the room. Soon they have the noose set up. She finds herself standing on one of the creaky chairs with the noose dangling  beside her. All four of her captures standing in front waiting for the scene to unfold. Her nostrils are flaring as she sobs. Her legs are shaking uncontrollably as she stares down at all of them. 

"Do it," her abductor challenges.


	3. Chapter 3

_"Do it," her abductor challenges._

The redhead shakes her head unable to move her arms. She feels like this chair is going to give out any minute now as she shifts her weight nervously. "P-Please," she hysterically pleads for her life.

She watches as FP's son pulls out his gun that he loves waving around. He points it up at her then at the noose. "You're wasting our time," he rolls his eyes. She hears the gun click urging her to look up at the wooden ceiling of the cabin. She prays to herself hoping that this won't be how Cheryl Blossom ends. The gun goes off, a bullet flying through the roof leaving a hole in it's place.

Cheryl cowers losing her balance falling off the chair. She scrambles to her feet when the shortest male rushes over to her. He picks her up placing her back onto her blooded prints on the chair. Her lip trembles when she notices the gun pointed between her eyes. She reaches for the rope with quaking hands.

"Wait," Tiny says bringing everything in the room to a stop. Tears fall down even more heavily from Cheryl's eyes as the gun is lowered. "I have a better idea," the woman announces triggering the redhead's uncontrollably shake again. "What if we use her instead of get rid of her?"

"I'm listening," the leader says intrigued putting the gun away in it's holster.

"What if we get her to throw the case?" Tiny exclaims.

"Wait, so like she goes up against my dad but loses on purpose?"

Tiny nods with sparkling eyes.

"How do we know that she isn't going to throw us under the bus for kidnapping her?" Fangs speaks up.

"Not sure about that just yet, but I know we can come up with a way. Threaten her family maybe, I don't know?" Tiny shrugs.

"Wouldn't it be better if she was out of the picture completely? We've done so much. How would we even explain the kidnapping. The news is already pointing fingers at the gang," Sweet Pea reasons.

"Cheryl Blossom is like a millionaire, she could easily say she was on a secret vacation that she didn't want anyone to know about," Tiny bounces back. "Also FP has evidence against him and any other lawyer could use it to possibly win. We need her alive."

"What about her place being trashed? How would we cover that up?" FP's son concludes.

"She was robbed after she left for her trip," the woman shrugs.

"That's fucking genius," the leader says with a hint of joy in his tone. He high fives the woman before untying the rope from the wall. "You lucked out Blossom. Get her down," he snaps his fingers. Within a blink of an eyes she's off the chair to reside back in her corner turning on her side because of the throbbing pain of her backside where it was smacked.

FP's son's phone goes off and he exits the cabin followed by the two other men. Tiny turns the light off surprisingly giving Cheryl another glance before exiting. The redhead stares in darkness to think over her almost death experience and one of her abductors potentially saving her life.

***

The next morning Cheryl has found herself awake plucking away as much glass from her feet as possibly when the unbearable pain became too much. She couldn't fall asleep at all last night because of the stabbing pain. She hisses as she pulls out each one tossing it aside into her little pile. Her eyelids are heavy from sleep deprivation. Her thoughts also clouded her mind making it impossible to find any form of slumber.

The door swings open the sound of ruffling draws her attention to her right. Several Walmart bags. Tiny reaches in pulling out a water bottle. There's no underlying game with her today when she places the water bottle in Cheryl's bound hands. Tiny twists the top off continuing on her way back to the bag. Cheryl quickly sucks the bottle dry dropping it into her pile of glass.

The pink haired woman drags the chair without blood stains sitting on it across the floor, the scraping sound making Cheryl shudder. She has another plastic container similar to the one she brought yesterday. However, inside isn't a wrap. "I went and got you this," she says hesitantly holding up the clear container sideways so the redhead could peer inside. She can tell that it's definitely some type of sandwich. There's wheat bread, a tomato she guesses, and is that cucumbers? "It's uh, wheat bread with tomatoes, several cucumbers, and tofu," Tiny clarifies.

Cheryl is starving, but if she even smells tofu she's going to vomit. "I'm not a huge fan of tofu, but thank you for trying to accommodate my lifestyle," the redhead simply says ignoring the huge growl coming from her stomach.

"Thought you might say that," Tiny voices without malice shocking Cheryl, because the other day the woman blew a fuse at her turning down what she brought. She watches the small woman stand up making her way to the table. "I bought all types of fruit," the bag crinkles as she digs through it, "watermelon, strawberries, pineapples, and even some cantaloupes. Which one would you prefer?"

"Honestly? All of them," Cheryl draws out a breath ready to cease and feed her noisy stomach. The redhead begins to drool as the plastic boxes containing chopped fruits are placed in front of her. She reaches out forgetting her hands are bound to one another.

"Which one do you want first?" Tiny asks looking away from the girl's restricted hands.

"Watermelon," Cheryl says staring into the box not able to resist the fruit sitting in its own seedy red juice. She watches as Tiny opens the box taking one out with her purple polished fingers letting it drip into the container before bringing it to her mouth. She almost greedily bites the woman's finger off. Although, Tiny doesn't comment on it. Juice trickles down her chin onto her filthy gown. Tiny spends a few minutes feeding Cheryl every piece of fruit oddly not saying a word. Not even when Cheryl accidentally bit her finger or sucked on it.

The fruit is all completely devoured and Cheryl burps shamelessly though still excusing herself. "Thank you," the redhead whispers when the girl reaches over to wipe down her chin with a napkin. Tiny gathers up the containers dropping it's now empty bag. Cheryl's eyebrows furrow when her captor pulls out tweezers and a bottle of peroxide. She pushes the chair aside sitting indian-style on the wooden floor. "What are you doing?" Cheryl asks when her feet are placed on her captor's knee.

"What does it look like? I'm fixing you up. I would appreciate it if you didn't say anything," Tiny calmly discloses. Cheryl gives the girl a tight nod deciding to obey the girl for once. She hisses trying to pull her foot back when there's a tug on one of the deeper sunken pieces of glass. "Let me get it out," she says breathlessly like she's operating on someone's heart and she's the one who's distressed. Tiny adds a bit more pressure on the tweezer as she grabs ahold of the glass before yanking it out. Cheryl breathes out relaxed sinking back into the brick wall.

A few pieces more into the removal Cheryl finds herself dozing off. Although, Tiny stays at work pulling out glass by glass dropping it into one of the empty fruit containers. Once she’s certain that she's got one foot clear of glass she carefully pours some peroxide on a small white cloth. She tabs the bottom of the redhead's foot looking up at her to see that her face slightly contorts, but she remains asleep. She makes sure to clean the side of her feet and between her toes. When there's no trace of dry blood anywhere she begins to wrap the girl's whole foot in a bandage leaving her toes out though of course. With the right foot done she goes to work on the other foot. The ball of her foot has the one specific pesky piece that doesn't want to exit her foot. Tiny almost gives up, but she persists wrenching the glass out. Cheryl stirs awake crying out. "Sorry," Tiny looks up at her completely freezing for a second before continuing, "uh, it was really stuck in there, but it's gone now."

Cheryl looks at her bandaged foot wiggling her toes. "Why are you doing this?"

"Didn't I say no talking?" Tiny quickly challenges looking away to finish pulling out the glass. So Cheryl watches silently as the girl goes to work relieving her pain.

Eventually Tiny is finished bandaging up Cheryl's feet. She notices the pile of bloody glass beside the redhead, safely disposing of it along with the shriveled up water bottle. Cheryl watches the girl curiously. Why is she being so kind all of the sudden?

"Can you bandage up my fingers as well?" Cheryl asks coming out as timid as a mouse. She cringes at herself for sounding so vulnerable. The redhead brings herself to Indian-style. Tiny looks between her questionably.

"Sure, but I'm not taking those ropes off you," she says warily scooting closer to the girl their knees almost touching, reaching over placing the girl's hands in her own. She looks them over, they're mostly just dirty but there are definitely a few bloodied cuts. She thinks back to the pieces of glass beside the girl putting two and two together. Tiny grabs the peroxide once more pouring a little bit on the edge of the cloth that was untouched. She dabs at her nicked finger causing the redhead to cry out. It continues like that for about two minutes until Tiny uses small bandaids to place on top of all the cuts.

"Thank you," Cheryl mumbles gratefully. Her hands still covered with scrapes and feet with open wounds still sting, but now she'll be able to heal with this treatment.

Tiny stares back at her eyes full of.... uncertainty?

Before the redhead can mutter anything the door is bursted open making her jump out of her skin. The persons’s build is familiar and unmistakable. FP's gun happy offspring. The man's eyes are filled with anger as he aggressively saunters over to her.

He wreaks of alcohol hollering, “it’s over for you bitch,” into her face. His fist connects with her cheekbone. The force so great that it knocks her over onto her side. She chillingly screams taking hit after hit.

_“Hey babe, would it be okay if I went out for drinks with Betty tonight?” Cheryl tentatively implores as she scrubs the orange residue left from the jambalaya off the white plate inside the sink._

_“I thought we were going to stay in tonight to watch Game of Thrones,” he sighs from the dinner table behind her._

_Cheryl places her plate into the dishwasher. “We’ve already watched every episode. The new episode airs tomorrow night,” the redhead states quietly as she wipes her hands dry with the tablecloth on the counter._

_When she turns to face him she resists an eye roll as he chugs down his gin straight from the bottle. She’s told him several different times to pour the drink into a glass. She’s still waiting for him to reply, because she knows pushing for an answer will make him upset. So she instead goes to take his empty gin glass to dispose of it._

_“Did I say I was finished?” He raises his voice at her resulting in the redhead stumbling back a few steps._

_“I’m sorry,” Cheryl has now learned as her saving grace._

_“I-It’s okay bay-be,” he slurs pulling her into his lap. He drunkenly places sloppy kisses all over her cheeks. The smell of alcohol on his breath is disgustingly strong. Her phone suddenly rings and causes a switch to flip in her husband. “Who’s that calling you,” he bites back bitterly._

_“It’s probably Betty,” the redhead briskly hops up from his lap to retrieve it from the kitchen counter. She goes to answer it but her phone is snatched away from her grip. Cheryl freezes with his torso pressed to her back and his arms around her._

_He places the phone in her face as he declines the call making sure she sees the action. Cheryl let’s out a shaky breath. “That’s not fair,” she whispers not meaning to but letting the anger slip into her voice._

_He drops her phone onto the counter before swinging the redhead in his arms to face him. “What’s not fair?”_

_“I haven’t seen Betty since you convinced me to drop out of school,” Cheryl exclaims heatedly. He grabs her wrist tightly drawing a gasp from her lips._

_“Is it such a crime to want my wife home with me?” He demands his grip tightly increases with each word._

_“You’re hurting me!” Cheryl cries out tears stinging in her eyes. However, she won’t let them fall because she also learned that crying fuels his rage._

_When he lets go of her wrist the redhead tries to get out of this close proximity he has created, but he backs her into the kitchen counter placing both of his large arms on either side of her. Her breaths become rushed out as she stares into his dark eyes._

_“I just want some time out of this house,” she tries to reason with a harmless little shrug, “I haven’t left the house in months other than to go grocery shopping.”_

_“Fine, whatever,” he says as he wobbles away. Cheryl watches as he goes into the fridge pulling out another overly sized bottle of gin. Cheryl happily grabs her phone calling Betty back as she rushes up the stairs past her husband, who started Game of Thrones on the couch, to get ready. She speedily gets ready making sure to cover herself nicely so her husband doesn’t change his mind about letting her leave the house. She didn’t know it as she got dressed that night, but before she could even take one step outside he had broken her arm._

Cheryl is drawn back from the flashback when the aching pain subsides. She’s in fits of coughs as she tries to breathe out of both her mouth and nose. The redhead eyes blink open to find FP’s son being pulled back by Tiny.

“Jug, what’s going on!” The small woman shouts up at him trying to calm him down. Cheryl would be making fun of that name in her head if it weren’t for that dull pain nagging at the back of her head.

“Blossom is all over the news. Some girl who fucking dog sits had a key to the apartment and she saw the blood and the broken lamp,” he pushes Tiny off as he frantically walks back and forth in the compact space throwing off his ski mask. Cheryl tries to focus in on his face to try to remember anything unique or different to the police to describe her abductor. His skin is pale, bags heavy revealing all the stress and lack of sleep, and the one thing she wills herself to remember are the four freckles rather large freckles scattered on his face down his neck.

“She’s been declared missing. And check this out we got the damn cops or the FBI or some shit showing up snooping around headquarters,” Jug kicks the brick wall.

“Do you think it was smart coming here Jones?” Tiny questions moving towards the poorly boarded up windows peering through.

“I was at home when it happened not at the site. Fangs called me!”

“Is everyone okay?” Tiny questions voice full of concern.

“They took Fangs and a few others to the station for questioning. I’m just glad it was Fangs instead of Sweets,” Jug tried to joke but no light response comes from the masked woman.

She sits on a chair, one of her legs is bouncing up and down as she sits quietly. Cheryl hears her release a controlled breath before watching the girl whip out her cell phone. “We can have Cheryl log into her social media and post a video saying that she's okay,” Toni says calmly but the lightbulb that turned on in her eyes dims as she looks over the redhead.

“Shit,” Jug stresses once he looks over her at well, “she looks filthy and sick. No ones gonna believe that,” he runs his hands through his hair.

“I’ll go wash her out in the river,” Tiny suggests walking over to the bags pulling out shampoo and conditioner along with a washcloth and a bar of soap. The man gives the masked woman an incredulous look. “Don’t look at me like that Jones. Help me carry her outside?"

Jug grunts as he picks up the moaning girl who’s stomach feels like it’s about to fall out. The wooden door opens making Cheryl hiss at the brightness. She hasn’t seen true light in a while and her eyes take a bit longer to adjust.

The redhead takes a subtle look around. Trees, trees, and more trees. But, she can make out a trail that they’re on that leads to a dock on a lake a few feet away. The breeze on her neck let’s her remember that Tiny had recently cut off her long red locks. She sighs when the sun disappears for a moment so she can stop squinting her eyes. However, the sun swings right back to beating on her face once they pass the tall tree shielding them from the harmful rays.

In a few minutes the sun starts to go down. They make it to the dock in under five minutes. Jug sets Cheryl down as Tiny gets on her knees to place the essentials down on the wooden dock beneath her. “Are you really gonna keep that on?” Jug asks Tiny referring to the ski mask.

“Yes, now she knows what you look like,” Tiny rolls her eyes like he’s an idiot.

“Yeah and she’s on our side now,” Jug mimics rolling his eyes back.

“Better be safe than sorry,” the small girl sighs looking back up at him. Tiny watches as Jug stands there expectingly for a minute before adding, “go wait in the cabin.”

“What the fuck. How generous of you!” He gruffs throwing up both middle fingers as he retreats back to the cabin, but not before getting in Cheryl’s face and smirking when she flinches.

When he gets farther and farther away Tiny stands approaching Cheryl slowly. “I’m gonna untie these ropes okay, you have to promise you won’t move,” she intensely starts looking between her eyes for assurance, “remember, I have a knife and I won’t hesitate to throw it into your spine if you try to make a run for it,” she challenges swiftly pulling out her knife. Cheryl swallows before nodding. Soon the ropes are off and the two of them are just looking at one another.

“Take off your dress,” Tiny speaks up looking into the redhead’s brown eyes.

Cheryl stares back mumbling a, “no.”

Tiny leans to glance behind the woman to see if Jug is inside the cabin before saying, “Red, he’s in the cabin now and you have to get clean,” she tries a different approach. A kinder approach. “How about you get in the water with the dress on then take it off so I can wash it?" Tiny offers softly.

Cheryl doesn’t say anything as she gives in and obeys sliding into the blueish water. She shivers when the water rises up her body as she sinks into the river. The water is freezing. When Tiny looks at her expectantly the redhead reaches for the hem of the nightgown slipping it off her body. She watches as her abductor drops the wet gown into a puddle beside her on the dock. The woman’s tan hands dips the light blue washcloth into the water. She then rings it out to run the bar of soap along it. “Come closer,” the masked woman orders as she lies on her chest to get closer to the water herself.

“I can wash myself,” Cheryl scoffs swimming back a little further.

“Come closer,” Tiny’s voice demands with eyes that Cheryl is too afraid to challenge so she swims up closer to the dock. “Arm,” the girl bids and Cheryl reluctantly does as she’s told. Cheryl watches as the towel starts to turn brown, disgust and embarrassment crowd her thoughts. She squeezes her eyes shut to rid herself of those demeaning inquiries. Shortly her mind becomes absolutely clear as the slow rubbing of the cloth against her skin begins to soothe her. The sound of birds chirping in passing stirs her a bit and she opens her eyes.

Cheryl eyes Tiny as she dips the cloth back into water before lathering it with soap again. The towel makes its journey to over her collarbones and shoulders, up her neck, and even down to her shoulder-blades. When the towel trails lower to the valley of her breast Cheryl reaches for the dock to have something to hold onto. Her chest has always been one of the most sensitive parts of her body and she doesn’t want to shy away or create unnecessary tension.

When the towel runs over her right breast and circles her nipple she shuts her eyes tight willing herself to not let out a squeal. Gladly her captor doesn’t spend a whole lot of time on that part of her body. “Turn around,” Tiny says quietly. Cheryl turns around and she hears the girl gasp abruptly.

“What is it?” Cheryl asks desperately bringing one of her arms up to reach behind her back.

“It’s just a bruise,” Tiny tries to say calmly but Cheryl can hear the hint of worry the woman is trying to push down. Tiny gently runs her fingers over the bruised area causing the redhead to wince and pull away. A second later she’s right back in the spot that she used to be and Tiny opts for running the soapy water over her skin rather than physically touching it with the towel.

“That feels nice,” Cheryl accidentally lets slip out of her mouth immediately biting her lip after. Soon her upper half is completely clean other than her hair and Tiny let’s the redhead clean the rest of her body. The pink haired woman takes this time to begin cleaning the nightgown a few feet up the dock from Cheryl. Cheryl takes a look around the opposite side of the cabin for the first time. It’s getting really dark out. All she can see is water. There’s no way she could swim her way out with Tiny that close. So she just keeps washing herself until she’s done.

Tiny comes over and tells her to turn around again. “Duck you head in the water real quick,” Tiny says. She squeezes her eyes closed plugging her nose before dipping her head up for a second. Now that her hair is wet Tiny pours some of the shampoo into Cheryl’s hair. “Let’s see if I can get your shine back,” the woman voices distractedly as she rubs at the redhead’s scalp.

A few moments later the sun is completely gone. Since there’s no sun to provide warmth Cheryl’s teeth start to chatter. Her feet start to go numb along with her lower body. She needs to get out of the water.

“Let’s get you out," Tiny says after dunking Cheryl underwater for the last time. The woman makes her way to her feet before helping the redhead out of the water. Tiny wraps a towel around the shivering redhead and tries to warm her up by running her hands up and down her arms.

“You can head back in while I gather all this stuff,” the woman offers as she bends down. Cheryl decides to wait for her to finish not wanting to be alone naked with a man. She knows that could have been her moment to make a run for it, but she’s completely naked, her bandages on her feet are sopping wet, and she has no clue to where she is. If she were to look she wouldn’t be able to see far, because it’s completely dark out now.

So she walks with Tiny to the cabin silently. She notices Jug is sitting on a chair playing some kind of loud game on his phone distractedly. Cheryl stands in her spot she normally sleeps in holding her towel up to her body. She watches as the masked woman reaches into her bag pulling out an old oversized black vintage tee with Michael Jackson thriller on it and some cotton shorts tossing it to her.

She slides the shorts on first careful to keep her towel on afraid Jug will look up from his game and want to try her. Soon she's in the clothes and strangely enough she's extremely comfortable. Tiny uses that same towel to dry up the water trail from the door up to Cheryl's feet. “Sit so I can change your bandages." Speedily the woman unwraps the old soggy ones replacing them with new ones.

Cheryl looks on as Tiny pulls out her phone holding it sideways in front of her. “Say that you're okay that you're on vacation and having the best time of your life," the woman instructs quietly holding up her fingers counting down from three. When the woman drops all her fingers Cheryl knows the camera is rolling. This could be her final chance at freedom. Even though they’ve promised to keep her alive until the trial begins, but she doesn’t know if she can completely throw the case. Those parents bravely came to her seeking justice. She won’t let them down.

“Hey everyone it’s Cheryl,” the redhead rockily starts looking up into the chocolate eyes of the woman behind the camera. “I’VE BEEN TAKEN AGAINST MY WILL BY SERPENTS AND I’M HELD AT A CABIN IN THE MIDDLE O-“ Cheryl rushes out swiftly, but frantically watching her captor’s eyes fill with fury.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chat with me on twitter @madsdobby  
> leave a comment :)

_"I'VE BEEN TAKEN AGAINST MY WILL BY SERPENTS AND I'M HELD AT A CABIN IN THE MIDDLE O-" Cheryl rushes out swiftly, but frantically watching her captor's eyes fill with fury._

The phone is dropped from it's angled position in Tiny's hands as stands to stop Jug from rushing over to her by holding out her arms. "I wasn't recording anything Jughead," Tiny reveals eyes cautiously on Cheryl, "it was a test."

"Which she clearly failed so let me at her," he urges trying to get past the small woman again.

"Well what did you expect, I don't trust you people," the redhead defeatedly sighs backing up to the wall resting her head against it in her seated position.

"Haven't we beaten your ass enough," Jug grumbles walking back to his chair when he realizes Tiny isn't gonna let him near the girl.

"We've accomplished that we're not going to kill you," Tiny says with a roll of her eyes.

"That still doesn't make me feel safe. What if I win the case?" Cheryl questions looking between the two gang members.

"You're not going to if you purposely throw it," Tiny scoffs like what the redhead said was absolutely ludicrous.

"What if I don't want to help you guys," Cheryl challenges ready for the backlash.

"Then we can go ahead and end your life like we originally planned," Jug growls making his way over to the sitting redhead for the fourth time today. Again he is intercepted by Tiny.

"Violence isn't going to change her mind, Jug. It'll only make her more in-compliant," Tiny reasons surprising Cheryl with her use of wording for a second. "We have to get her to trust us," she says to the man quietly as possible however it still goes on to be heard by the redhead. They both turn to face her as Tiny asks "well do you have any suggestions on how to make you feel safer?"

Cheryl is completely stumped, mouth agape as she stumbles over the words that comes out of her mouth, "u-uh wow." She stands to gain more assertion as she begins her acquisition, "the men aren't allowed in here alone with me. If they for some reason choose to come around Tiny must to be present. I also want three meals a day, a day where I can go wash up outside, another bucket, my own supply of water, and a toothbrush with toothpaste, a proper bed, and I know you won't allow me to have a phone so I would like a sketchbook along with it's necessities to occupy my time."

"What the hell, she doesn't get to make rules around here. Tiny a word?" Jug dismisses as he drags said woman just outside the door. "What's going on with you, you're fucking going soft on her," the man angrily whisper yells in disbelief.

"I-I am not going soft, I'm just thinking about the long run Jug. We can't make her say the words we want, because we can't control what comes out of her mouth. So we have to compromise with her so she'll compromise with us," Cheryl can make out the small woman's voice but then Tiny drops her voice lower so the redhead can no longer make out anything.

Soon the pair come back in with Jughead quietly mumbling, "fine, I trust you."

Cheryl crosses her arms over her chest when her two kidnappers stroll back in. Jug walks over to the middle of the room to flip on the light as the sun has fully disappeared outside. Tiny takes a seat on one of the chairs and Cheryl doesn't miss the way her eyes roam over her body. She shifts her weight awkwardly before ordering, "I would like to eat my first meal tonight."

Her eyes switch from the small women sitting to Jug standing in the middle of the room as they both look at one another. The redhead's eyes narrow when Jug places a finger on his nose chuckling as he says "nose goes." Tiny rolls her eyes as she annoyedly sighs, "we're not five genius."

The man's laughter grows as Tiny turns to Cheryl to ask what she wants. "Anything from Avant Garden would be desirable," the redhead answers trying not to let a victory smile grace her features. The small girl gives her a nod before pulling out her phone.

Jug gets a phone call sending a farewell wave at Tiny before exiting the little cabin. Cheryl slides down the wall distractedly running her tongue along her lips as she stares at the ground. She begins to tap her fingers along the cool wooden floor out of boredom with her body splayed out.

"Cut that shit out," Tiny groans throwing a nickel at the redhead lounging on the floor. The small piece of copper-plated steel hits her covered collarbone causing a gasp to fall from her lips. The redhead throws it back. Her aim is completely horrendous she realizes when she meant for the coin to tap the woman's shoulder, but instead smacks her in the center of her forehead. A shrill little yelp comes from the masked woman and Cheryl scurries to sit up straight squeezing her eyes shut waiting to be struck. However, it never comes.

The alternative leaves her absolutely shook. Tiny is giggling freely. The sound is so enticing Cheryl can't help but join in with glee. When the laughing dies down the redhead can't even believe that that just transpired between herself and one of her captors.

"I'm going to got pick up your food," Tiny clears her throat and walks towards the wooden door. She's hastily out of the cabin without another glance at the redhead.

Cheryl closes her eyes to focus on what her ears are picking up. She hears a few different locks and clicks along with keys jingling. The sound of gravel gets more and more distant. She finally gets to her feet to get to look out the window closest to her. She tries her best to peer through the cracks of the boarded up wood. The retreating figure gets further from the cabin so Cheryl takes this as her chance to figure out how they're locking her inside here.

She tries to twist the lock but it's restricted from moving meaning the door is locked by the doorknob by key. There also has to be more locks as well considering how long it took the woman to step away from the door. It never sounded with that before, but maybe it's extra precaution being that Cheryl's limbs are no longer tied up.

Soon she gives up and looks around the room. She wonders if her captor's would let her fix up this cabin due to the reason that she'll be living in here for some time. Her bloody footprints should be cleaned up and the chair that she bloodied up should be too in addition. Also the long planks of wood that aren't being used that look like they were exchanged for the pieces now planted in the ground should be thrown out. Maybe she could get a rug?

Cheryl looks around once more at that moment before dropping to her knees, sobbing to herself. This can't be happening right now. She's going to be in this shithole for a while with unstable beings being in control of her. She won't be able to feel the warmth of the outside or cuddle with Sven. She clutches her chest trying to calm herself down. As she steadily composes herself her glistening eyes catch sight of the nickel glimmering on the chair. Cheryl crawls on her knees over to the old wooden chair taking the coin in her fingers. She places it on the floor using her pointer finger and thumbs to twist the coin watching it's rapidly whirl. She feels herself get lost in the revolving nickel.

Once it falls flat she resets it up to spin it again. This time the coin slips past her fingers and flies away from her. She catches it before it could go far. As she slaps the nickel flat she notices that she's met with two initials engraved into the wooden panel. The thought of the nickel long gone as she traces the two letters deep in the wood. "TT," Cheryl says aloud as her two fingers trace over the letters. She ponders what the letters could stand for. She's snatched from her thoughts were the locks sound at being unlocked. The door swings open. The steam from the bag makes Cheryl's stomach growl. Tiny kicks the door shut being her before placing the food down on the worn table.

"I didn't know what you wanted to drink so I got you water and some pink lemonade," Tiny says pulling a few things from out of the bag.

Cheryl doesn't know wether she should approach the still masked woman or wait for her to approach her.

She doesn't have to rack her brain anymore when the woman turns to her, "pull up a chair Red." Cheryl wraps her fingers around the chair hoisting it up sliding it under the table when Tiny scoots over.

"I'm gonna go head home, but I got you a burner phone. My number is inside it if you need anything, okay?" Tiny pulls out the petite phone placing on the table. Cheryl nods, "thank you."

"We'll all be over tomorrow with everything you have requested," Tiny assures her making Cheryl give her a genuine smile.

"Thank you, really," Cheryl says gently placing her hand on top of the woman's that was resting on the table. The redhead watches as the masked woman tilts her head down glancing at their hands before pulling away with only a small nod.

Shortly after Tiny slips out. Cheryl slides into the chair upon the hearing the locks fasten. Cheryl taps the bottom of her sealed straw to peel away the paper covering it. Once the paper is removed she takes a sip of her iced pink lemonade drink. She moans as it travels down her throat. When she opens her to-go box she about squeals when she's graced with scorched cauliflower which is one of her absolute favorites. When the roasted garlic smell reaches her nose another moan escapes her lips.

***

The next morning Cheryl is stirred awake by frequent little nudges. She blinks her sleepy eyes open, her eyes meeting bright chocolate ones. The redhead doesn't know what compels her to smile at her pink haired captor, but she didn't feel like fighting the grateful feeling. Tiny stares back at her in confusion before telling her to get up.

Cheryl obeys unaware of what's going on. She sits up to look around the room finding that the random wooden planks that were against the wall are now gone. The table has been cleared of last's night meal along with the stray Wal-Mart bags though there is a new meal in last night's place. Under the table is a clear medium sized box filled with several different things. Cheryl can make out shampoo, a box of toothpaste and pack of toothbrushes, and there's a few towels covering other objects inside. The door is wide open, Cheryl's eyes glance at Tiny beside her and she's staring back at her. "Don't even think about it," the woman laughs as Sweet Pea, she can recognize him because he's the only one who has to duck to enter the cabin, and another masked male figure come carrying in a box.

Cheryl's mouth drops open when she sees the photo on the box. It's a white and black folding rollaway cot. She reads memory foam and locking wheels. The redhead knew she was requesting a bed, but she thought they would bring in an old dirty mattress which she would've been okay with not wanting to sleep on the cold floor ever again. However, she truly wasn't expecting them to get her something new and nice.

The guys start to open the box. Jug strolls in unmasked plugging his nose. "If someone doesn't dump that bucket out right now I'm gonna loose my shit," he huffs.

Tiny rises to her feet. She's stopped in her tracks when Cheryl states, "you're not allowed to leave me alone with them."

"Nothings going to happen to you. I'll be right back, I promise," Tiny says walking over to the bucket. Cheryl internally panics. Her brown eyes glance around the cabin quickly. Jug is occupied on his phone sitting on a chair beside the two boys drawing the folded cot out of the box. When Tiny leaves the cabin the redhead feels her heartbeat increase.

She leans on the table keeping wary eyes on all of the men, most importantly Sweet Pea. As soon as the cot is free from the box the shorter male which she can't identify with a name rolls it over to the area where the old wooden planes were stored. Jug stays glued to his phone, but Sweet Pea is looking over in her direction making her squish herself against the wall beside her to create more distance in the even more now cramped space.

He strides over to her producing an uneasy Cheryl. The redhead looks behind her at the door sighing in relief when Tiny stalks in. Sweet Pea puts a halt on his conquest when his eyes land on the small masked woman.

"I'm sure that's everything she wanted," Tiny tells the men in the room and they abruptly clear out like the cabin contained the bubonic plaque.

Tiny walks over to the other end of the table across from Cheryl. "Everything in the box underneath here is what you requested and things that are necessary for survival out here. There's also another bucket and a set of water bottles under here on the other side of the filled bin," Tiny explains.

"Thank you," Cheryl says gratefully.

"I got you some breakfast from the same place as what I got you last night," the pink haired woman gestures to the bag. Cheryl looks over at the orange juice she can't wait to taste greedily.

"I really appreciate this Tiny," Cheryl says the sides of her mouth raising up lightly.

"Don't call me that," the woman snaps suddenly wiping the growing smile off the redhead's face.

"I-I'm sorry, what would you prefer-," Cheryl stumbles before glancing over at the carved initials in the wooden floor. "TT, can I call you TT?"

Cheryl looks into the other woman's wide eyes. "It's carved on the floor," the redhead assures the worried woman. She watches confused as the look in Tiny's eyes flips from worried to relieved as the realization hits her.

"Fuck, I forgot I did that," Tiny says looking down at the minuscule carved area. Her phone alarm turns off and she whips it out. Then immediately after looking down at it she's gone.

Cheryl watches through the badly boarded windows as the woman leaves. The sound of an car engine roars leaving Cheryl alone to silence. She opens up her to-go box devouring every bit of her food then stares around at the empty cabin. As she sits there by herself she comes to terms that missing Tiny's presence doesn't mean anything truly specific. With Sven gone and nobody to talk to she feels utterly alone. But, sometimes she gets glimpses of her female captor being somewhat wholesome, humane. And she would like to see more of that person.

That morning Cheryl spends time sketching away in her thin papered book after pacing the cabin relentlessly, playing little games on the burner phone, and even staring at the ceiling as she threw a water bottle into the air out of boredom. She draws Sven as she's laid on her extremely comfy cot. She ends up dozing off with her pencil in hand and on a page of her sketchbook.

Noon comes around. Cheryl wakes up herself. She groans as she wakes up blinking into the sun shining cabin. She screams in surprise when she sees a figure out of the corner of her eye. She jolts out of her sleeping position. When her eyes can fully make out the figure it's Tiny hunched over in one of the chairs and she feels embarrassed for her spastic reaction.

The woman is chuckling to herself as she gets back to looking down at her phone. Cheryl runs her hand through her short hair which she still isn't accustomed to. "What time is it?"

"It's one pm," Tiny responds not looking up from her phone. Cheryl takes a gander around the room. Her sketchbook was moved to the table along with her pencil. Her eyebrows rise assuming that her captor had moved them for her while she was asleep. Also on that table is her lunch, but Cheryl isn't actually hungry right now.

"When are we gonna try that video again?" Cheryl asks curiously.

"Whenever you're ready," Tiny answered eyes still locked on her phone.

"What if I'm never ready," Cheryl ponders aloud.

"You will be," the woman says without glancing at the girl. Cheryl begins to wonder why Tiny is refusing to meet her gaze. The redhead looks down at her body. She's fully clothed. She then runs a hand through her hair that's still the same as it was this morning just a little messy. After not finding anything physically wrong with her appearance she assumes that she must be looking at something very important.

"So TT, about yesterday when you tried to record me. You didn't ask for my password," Cheryl inquires swinging her legs off the edge of the cot to dangle just above the wooden floor.

"Didn't need to," Tiny shortly conveys.

"Did you actually log into my Instagram or were you going to take a random video with the camera app? You told Jug that you didn't push rec-" Cheryl brings about before she's cut off by Tiny's raspy voice.

"Sven2009," Tiny smirks smugly with a prissy raise of her perfectly arched eyebrow.

The redhead's mouth drops open in utter shock. "H-How do you even know that?" Cheryl stutters wrapping her arms around herself at the perception of feeling entirely exposed.

The redhead's brown eyes remain wide as Tiny begins to chuckle. "Look, Red, that night we broke into your condo I saw all your photos you had along your fireplace. Most of them were of your dog. One of them was dated in 2009 and you looked so young and extremely happy. You also had this huge purple birthday cake with an eighteen as the candle in the center. Sven, from what I recalled from you calling him that before we took you, was just a tiny pup in your arms. So I went with my gut and it logged me in," Tiny shrugged.

Cheryl is silently flabbergasted for a bit for humorously uttering, "so am I really that transparent?" That phrase earns a little giggle from Tiny slightly making the corners of the redhead's mouth twitch up.

"You can be," the woman voices, eyes smiling behind mask. Cheryl can't even fathom if how she's beginning to let her walls down to her captor so quickly or if the woman who's in a gang is letting her walls slip for her as well is more insane. "I think I should get going now," Tiny sighs probably noticing the strange shift in the atmosphere too. She bites her lip as she watching the small woman stand and walk to the door.

Before she can stop herself she blurts out, "wait!" When Tiny turns to face her across the room the redhead asks, "is it possible for you to visit me longer than just the occasional food delivery?" She almost slaps herself after the question leaves her mouth sounding so vulnerable, so insecure. Cheryl opens her mouth again to try to retract that sentence from being spoken into existence, but Tiny just asks a question of her own.

"What do you suppose we do exactly?"

"Talk?" Cheryl shrugs taking her lip between her teeth again.

"You want to talk to me?" Tiny scoffs like that's the most absurd thing anyone has asked her.

"Well I'm a human, I need to interact with someone or I'll lose my mind. Please, it doesn't have to be long," Cheryl whines putting her hands together furrowing her brows like a child.

"Okay, okay, you sound like m-" Tiny agrees but questionably stops mid-sentence. The redhead decides to not press for an answer so the pink haired woman doesn't get annoyed enough to take back what she just agreed to do. "I can stay a few hours after I drop off your lunch tomorrow," she says lastly before leaving Cheryl alone locking the door on the way out.

The next day Cheryl doesn't find herself sleeping after her breakfast is brought to her. She's a little too excited for the time she'll be spending with Tiny. Cheryl has spent those hours writing questions to ask the woman in her sketchbook. Most of them are questions that will defientely help her when she decides to press charges for her kidnapping when she's let go. Additionally, Cheryl does have fun questions to mask the informational ones, but nevertheless still fun that she happens to be curious about.

When the locks on the wooden door from outside sound she shuts her sketchbook to sit up. The door slowly opens. Cheryl's standard white take out bag is placed on a unsuspecting long box. The redhead can't make it out, but it's a long colorful box. She makes her way to the table as Tiny places her food on top of it leaving the colorful box in her arms.

"What's that box?" Cheryl's tilting her head up a little to get a better peek.

"A board game," the woman simply responds walking away from the redhead plopping herself down on the chair she occupied the day before with the box across her lap.

"What's the name of the board game?" Cheryl says as her eyes skim the side of the box trying to get a glimpse of the words, but Tiny is covering up the sides with her fingers at the way she's leaning onto the box.

"You're really impatient. Eat your food first and I'll answer all your questions," the woman straightforwardly says. Cheryl nods turning around to do exactly that. As she begins chewing she hears a familiar male voiced dialogue coming from Tiny's phone, "for over a century I've lived in secret, until now. I know the risk, but I had no choice. I have to know her."

The redhead moves her jaw inhumanly fast in order to break up her food in her mouth so she can swallow to say, "are you a Stefan girl or Damon girl?" After she turns around to gauge the woman's response she can't help but smirk at the notorious gang member pondering who's side of the love triangle from the Vampire Diaries she's  chosen.

"I think I'm gonna say Damon," Tiny replies eyes not leaving the redhead's making Cheryl somewhat uncomfortable. "Let me guess, Stefan is your choice," the pink haired woman rolls her eyes.

"What happens to be displeasing about Stefan Salvatore?" Cheryl gasps putting her nose in the air.

"He's boring," Tiny complains with an annoyed huff.

"But a murdering asshole is more favorable to you?"

"He's a misunderstood murdering asshole," Tiny says with a rise in her shoulders.

"What season are you on?" Cheryl asks curiously taking a sip of her lemonade.

"Two. I'm in the middle of the season," she answers tapping on her phone to stop the screen from going black.

"I've completed the whole series so I know how it ends," the redhead tries her hardest to leave distaste out of her tone. "I'll let you get back to it," Cheryl turns to continue consuming her lunch.

The serpent ends up finishing her episode bragging about how much fun Elena had when Damon kidnapped her and took her to Georgia.  Also reminding her that Elena did in fact jump in to save Damon's towards the end of the episode. Cheryl being the stubborn lawyer that she is listed all of Elena's rights along with laws that were violated and her argument was that Elena is just an extremely compassionate person who would've helped anyone in that same situation.

"Come on, Red," Tiny calls forth Cheryl as she places the board game on the wooden floor in front of her crossed legs when she sees the redhead wrap all her trash up.

"Candy Land," Cheryl reads aloud tucking her hands in her lap as she sits across from the pink haired woman.

"Have you ever played?" Tiny questions as she opens up the box sliding the board unfolding it, placing it between them two of them.

"I can't say that I have," Cheryl says her voice raising a smidge as she looks around surprisingly intrigued by the colorful set in front of her.

Tiny spots her movement the set of cards going limp in her hands as she gaps at the fascinated redhead across from her, "you're being serious? I grew up on this game."

"My parents were very white-collar. They thought that everything I did had to have a purpose behind it. So I had to do a crossword every morning after breakfast and complete a sudoku grid before bed so my intellect was always sharp," Cheryl shares regretting it instantly by the appalled look peeping out of Tiny's mask.

"Damn Blossom, no wonder you're so uptight," Tiny says under her breath, however still loud enough for the redhead to hear.

Cheryl tried her best to remain unfazed by the obscene but truthful comment, but the action of her crossing her arms over her chest gave her away. "I used to be more fun," the redhead frowns looking down at the colorful game board at the pink dress wearing princess on ice skates labeled 'Princess Frostine' to keep the memories of her abusive husband lodged away.

Tiny doesn't respond moving the two pieces of cardboard boxes behind her. She then turns the board settling beside the redhead so that they're at a point where they both can see the board right side up. Their knees moderately touching as the serpent leaned forward to place the stack of white cards off the board above King Candy. Cheryl peers in the top of the box when Tiny puts it in front of her to let her choose her gingerbread piece. Her eyes immediately lock on the bottom of the yellow piece. The joyful yellow gingerbread's platform beneath its feet had black writing on it. The name 'Ivy' is scribbled in chicken scratch along yellow plastic in permanent marker.

"Who's Ivy?" Cheryl questions reaching her hand in to grab a hold of small toy, but Tiny reaches her hand in before the redhead can.

"That piece is off limits Red," Tiny tells her sternly placing it in the bottom half of the boxing standing the gingerbread up.

"Is Ivy your name?" Cheryl questions recalling Tiny saying that she played it a lot as a child.

"Just pick your colored piece Cheryl," Tiny rolls her eyes in annoyance.

"Fine," the redhead huffs snatching the red piece. The woman beside her settles for blue and they both place them at the starting line.

"Okay so how you play," Tiny begins to instruct her voice softer. "Flip one of the cards over and there's a colored block on it which you have to follow. There are special cards as well, but I'll explain that when we come across one," the pink haired woman explains. "You first."

The redhead reaches to grab the top card flipping it over to find a single yellow square in the center. "So I move here?" Cheryl half asks sliding her piece on the first yellow spot on the board.

"Yep," Tiny says reaching to grab her own card.

"Do I just keep the card or-" Cheryl queries right before her mouth drops open as she watches the woman beside her drag her blue piece past hers and onto the pink spot with a peanut on it. The blue piece is like sixty spaces away from her own red piece. "What?! You're cheating," she gasps.

"Not cheating just lucky," Tiny laughs. "I pulled a pink card with Grandma Nutt so that means I go directly to her, which I did," the serpent tries to explain through giggles glancing at the redhead who has her mouth gaped open. When the masked woman leans over the insignificant space between them to gently place her fingers under Cheryl's chin to close her mouth for her the redhead feels her heartbeat quicken.

She finds herself releasing herself from that seeming intimate touch to clear her throat throwing the first thing to come to thought out of her mouth, "we should create an ultimatum!"

"I'm listening," Tiny says fairly uninterested.

"If I win you take me outside," Cheryl challenges.

"What are you going to do outside?" The serpent questions eyebrows raised in suspicion.

"I've just been cooped up in here for so long, I'm losing it," truth is she's hoping to look for a escape route in daylight outside. "Look at where I am now. Requesting to spend time with a gang member who abducted me." Cheryl adds to make more sense to get rid of the pink haired woman's wariness.

"And if I win? You have nothing to give me," Tiny narrows her eyes at the redhead.

"When I'm set free I'll ensure you get what you want after the trial," Cheryl promised. "What is it that you want exactly?"

"$10,000," the serpent bargains.

"Alrighty then, you're on TT," The redhead smirks holding her hand out to shake the masked woman's hand in agreement.

"I'm already way ahead of you," Cheryl can hear the smirk in Tiny's voice as her attention is brought to the board game.

"Don't underestimate the underdog," the redhead warns picking up the next card. She pulls two blue squares. Determinedly moving up those correct number of spacing still not getting anywhere near Tiny.

Her opponent pulls a card with a single card with green square. So she moves one space ahead. Cheryl lets a snide but playful chuckle at Tiny barely moving from her recent spot.

"Hey, dummy I'm still pretty far ahead of you," the pink haired woman fires back.

"Shut up," the redhead giggles bumping her shoulder into Tiny's.

The two women find theirselves giggling, stealing competitive glances at one another, and really just enjoying the others company. When Tiny pulls her card which leads her to the last rainbow colored square that would mean she had won the game she squeals as the defeated redhead slaps the blue gingerbread piece from her hand, tackling her onto her back.

They break out into another fit of giggles. Cheryl can't seem to catch her breath at the feeling of the smaller girl's stomach violently shaking beneath her as she cackles along with her. When a bit of her giggles subsides she lifts her head from the girl's chest, swallowing when she's met with big brown sparkling eyes. She stops dead in her tracks completely mesmerized by the eyes below hers. Cheryl doesn't want to pull her eyes away, she hasn't seen anything so beautiful in years. Her thoughts disperse upon the abrupt burst of coughing from the serpent.

"Ah, sorry," the redhead bashfully apologizes lifting her body up from Tiny's. Cheryl watches as the pink haired woman lifts up her ski mask wafting air into it. "Why don't you just take it off?"

"You can't know what I look like," Tiny breathes out lifting the mask from her skin only high enough to expose her lips.

"I've seen Jughead's face," the redhead reminds the serpent.

"That was stupid on his part. Plus I have so much more to lose than Jughead," the woman explains, "just like you don't trust us, I don't trust you."

Cheryl doesn't know why that rubs her the wrong way, but it does. Tremendously. She doesn't know what to say after that remark.

"It's hot as fuck in here," Tiny mumbles rising the mask higher to above her nose resting on the bridge. Meanwhile the masked woman is trying to cool herself down Cheryl starts to pick up all the game pieces to put it away.

Once the box has all the pieces inside she closes the box. "Can we do this again?"

"After I just beat your ass you wanna play again?" Tiny jokes the smirk on her face this time visible. Cheryl can't do anything other than nod with a smile peeking at the corners of her mouth. "I should be going," the serpent sighs checking her phone.

"Okay," Cheryl says simply sitting on her cot. She watches wordlessly as Tiny places her lunch trash inside it's bag on top of the board game.

When the serpent reaches the door she assures Cheryl she'll be back later with her dinner. She slips out locking all the locks and soon she's gone.

The redhead throws herself back against her cot's mattress staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts overwhelmed with Tiny. The sometimes sweet gang member who caters to her needs. The Southside Serpent who carries a knife in her boot plays goddamn Candy Land.

Cheryl sits up when the fondling of the locks sound. As the door opens she asks, "TT did you forget somethi-," the redhead awaits for the person to come into view her voice loosing its substance when instead of a petite masked woman there's a tall masked man.

"I came for what I was promised," he sneers kicking the door shut behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m so sorry for the super long wait you guys. i’ve just felt insecure and lost my wanting for writing but i have been reading other fics and that’s made me wanna put something back into the world. i’ve had most of this written for most of july i was just having trouble figuring out how i wanted the ending to go. i really hope you guys like it. this is actually the longest chapter i have written and hopefully they continue to get longer as i write. thank you guys for reading and the support is very much appreciated:)

__"I came for what I was promised," he sneers kicking the door shut behind him.

 

"You're not supposed to be here," the redhead states firmly with her chin held high as watches him with caution.

 

"Do I look like I give a fuck?" Sweet Pea takes a step forward. Cheryl begins to panic inside. When the beanstalk of a human being takes another step she somersaults skillfully off of the cot creating a barrier and more distance between them.

 

"Shit you're flexible," he grunts cascading quickly over to the frightened redhead slamming his large palms onto the cot. She makes a swift glance around the room for something, anything she can use as a weapon.

 

The closest item is the burner phone Tiny had gotten for her, resting on top of the cot, but that's entirely way too microscopic to stop the large man's advances. When her eyes land on the chair she knows that'll be her best bet, however it was on the other side of the cot with the one she's desperately trying to get away from.

 

Cheryl looks back into his dark eyes, lust dripping from behind the mask. She feels nauseous, like she could regurgitate absolutely everywhere. She lets out a shaky breath before using her trembling hands to push the cot with every ounce of strength she can muster up into his legs. The man doesn't fall over, stumbling back a little instead. Although, it's definitely enough to brush pass Sweet Pea and the cot. She wraps her fingers around the wooden chair slamming it into the man. The chair doesn't break away in pieces into him like in the movies and she gasps as it falls to the floor bluntly. He seems winded, just not enough for her to safely get passed him towards the door. As he approaches her again she grabs hold of the second chair.

 

She swings it at his head this time. Cheryl is thrown off guard when one of the man's hands intercepts the blow grabbing onto the legs at the bottom. He takes the chair then throws it across the room effortlessly. She stares up at him shaking uncontrollably breathing out ragged breaths as he saunters over to her like a snake, sharp and quick. His large hand wraps around her throat squeezing lightly.

 

Cheryl begins breathing out of her mouth, the smell of alcohol strong on his breath. She blinks several times fazing in and out. She hasn't smelled alcohol up this close since him. She hasn't been in the position since him.

 

A potent sting pounds against her cheek bringing her from her inner thoughts. She groans looking into the dark eyes again discovering tan skin. His mask has been removed. Cheryl should study his face, but she has more important things to accomplish at the moment. She needed to be free of this man.

 

Cheryl vowed to never let a man take anything that rightfully belongs to her away ever again.

 

"I like things a little rough," he whispers tightening his grip.

 

Cheryl tried to keep her breaths strong as she rapidly racks her brain to conjure up a strategy. Then she thinks of the burner phone, the only phone number contactable is Tiny's. She needs to get the phone. Out of the corner of her eye she can see the cot and maybe she can reach for it.

 

"So do I," Cheryl taunts playing along as she shoves him back a little. She hears the sound of him bumping the backs of his knees into the cot so she steps a bet closer earning a heated mumble from the man.

 

Out of nowhere he grabs of fistful of her cut short red locks twisting her in his arms pulling her back flush against his front. Cheryl wails feeling as though her hair is being ripped out of her scalp. Her face contorts into one of pure disgust as she can feel every inch of him through her cotton shorts.

 

Cheryl uses the close proximity to feel the mattress behind her with her fingertips in hopes she's being discreet. She wants to cry out in her feat when her hand finally comes in contact with the small metal device, but that can also be put on the back burner for now.

 

Right now she has to sing. Cheryl peels her body from his momentarily to reel her elbow back into the man's stomach. Sweet Pea groans loudly at the swift blow releasing her hair. Considering that she's still in his hold she lefts her foot up to jam her heel into his toes. However, she's not wearing heels so it isn't as effective as she hoped. It actually hurts her more than him, her whole foot is now tingling from colliding into his combat boot so harshly. His hand gruffly snakes around her waist again and she begins to feel her weight being lifted into the air.

 

Cheryl doesn't stop her fight there thrusting her elbow solidly into his nose. The man is still loosely hanging onto her, but she knows it won't be for much longer as his cries of pain get louder. Her last hit is to his groin and that sends him stumbling back onto the cot.

 

With the burner phone in her hand Cheryl is out of the cabin running into the sunsetting outdoors. She's whipping her head around in a whole 360 looking for anything she can hide behind. Trees, trees, and more trees. Though in the distances there's some type of sanded trail. She doesn't know where it could lead to, but she's hoping for a freeway of any kind where she can be rescued.

 

She runs through the trees instead of the trail opting to run alongside it so Sweet Pea can't easily spot her in the open. She clicks the button on her phone that Tiny instructed her to click. Instantly the phone is ringing as she holds it up to her ear. "Please, please, pick up TT," Cheryl begs as she storms deeper into the woods.

 

When Cheryl can say she successfully has created a significant amount of distance from the cabin she chooses to take a quick break to catch her breath. She turns her body towards the cabin to keep an eye out for the disturbing man. There's no sight of him and her breathing begins to flatten out evenly.

 

"What is it Red?" Tiny's voice sounds from the small device. The redhead gasps feeling appeased for a second until the man makes an appearance from the cabin. She hurriedly shields her body behind a large tree.

 

"Sweet Pea just paid me a visit, he's going to hurt me TT," Cheryl rushes out in a hushed voice tears brimming in her eyes threatening to drop.

 

"Fucking Sweets!" Tiny mumbles angrily. "I'm on my way, stay on the line," Cheryl hears the shuffling in the background and she turns to take another look for Sweet Pea. He's still on the porch of the cabin, but her heartbeat still quickens. Suddenly his head whips into Cheryl's direction and the man bounds down from the cabin's porch.

 

"He saw me!" Cheryl curses taking off once more gripping the phone against her ear tight.

 

"Wait, Cheryl where are you running to?" Toni questions the unease in her voice very apparent.

 

"I'm in the woods-" Cheryl stops when she sees a large house made of timber and glass. She turns back to Sweet Pea who's gaining higher proximity as she just stands there stilled. "There's a house here," the redhead says as she treks out of the wilderness and onto the trail. The trail turns into a stoned path and the bottoms of her feet slap loudly as she runs across it. Cheryl comes to an abrupt stop whimpering when she feels a stabbing pain in her foot. A pointy rock she ran across gets lodged into her big toe.

 

"Cheryl? Are you okay?" Tiny voice barely sounds since the redhead has lowered the phone from her ear.

 

"I stepped on a rock," she says hisses pulling the phone back up to ear. Cheryl pulls it out biting her lip to keep a screech at bay.

 

"Listen to me Red, don't go into that house," the woman warns. That sentence entices the redhead to gaze over at the well built house. She sees a figure walk past a window. "It's filled with members of the serpents who- that doesn't matter, but just know you won't be any safer with them."

 

Part of her is pondering if the serpent herself is lying to her, that maybe whomever that's in that house could actually save her. That this might be her only true chance at freedom. But, another part of her hears truth in her words. Tiny has been so amazing to her recently, Cheryl somehow sees a friend in this woman. She trusts this woman.

 

"Where should I go then?" Cheryl rushes out looking around again. Sweet Pea is dangerously  close now. The redhead's heart rate speeds up tremendously.

 

"Firstly get away from that house then find somewhere to hide, I'm close by," Cheryl hears Tiny huff as a car honks on the other line.

 

"Princess, I'm fucking through with you fighting me. No more teasing," Sweet Pea says coming into threatening distance.

 

"Tiny's on her way over here!" Cheryl raises her voice a little so only the man across from her can hear and the house isn't disrupted.

 

"Frankly I don't give a flying fuck. I'm getting what I came here for," Sweet Pea growls lounging at her. Cheryl takes off into the trees again with her abductor hot on her trail.

 

"Cher-" is all the redhead hears before the speaker sizzles out. Shit! The battery must have died. She knew she shouldn't have played that game for hours the other day.

 

"Stop running!" The tall serpent shouts after her causing her to look back at him to check the distance between them. As she's turning back to glance in front of her while running she isn't quick enough to jump over a large fall tree trunk sending her crashing onto the ground. Her head slams into a rested stony rock. The commencement of loud roaring ringing in her ears signals that her fight is over. She lifts a weak finger to her temple. The warm liquid confirms the sad truth. Cheryl blinks twice before everything goes completely black.

 

***

 

The redhead is stirred awake at the feeling of cold water dripping down in tiny amounts onto her face. Her eyes feebly blink open as her body jolts forward into a seating position. She looks around to be met with brick walls, the yellow tint of the room as the sun has vanished and the lightbulb now turned on, and only a familiar masked woman right beside her pulled up in a chair against the cot.

 

"Not so fast, lie back down," she soothes gently helping her lay back into the soft pillow tossing a wet washcloth onto the table next to her. "What's your name?"

 

"Cheryl Majorie Blossom," the redhead lets out placing a hand on her head where the pounding is coming from. As her fingertips graze the bandage furrowing her eyebrows in confusion to why it's there in the first place.

 

"What do you do for a living?"

 

"I'm a lawyer in New York," Cheryl groans closing her eyes shut hoping the throbbing would dissipate.

 

"What's your dog's name?"

 

"Sven," the redhead says the corners of her lips raise fairly as she thinks about her beloved companion.

 

"Very good Cheryl," Tiny says keeping her incessant relief at bay. "How many fingers am I holding up," the woman says putting three purple polished nails in her face.

 

"Three," Cheryl grumpily answers opening one eye before shoving the girl's fingers away.

 

"Who am I?"

 

"Tin- I mean TT," the redhead mumbles turning her head to look at the pink haired woman.

 

"Do you remember what happened earlier?" Tiny questions leaning a smidge closer.

 

Cheryl squeezes her tight trying to rack her brain of recent events. Her eyes travel left to right frantically behind her eyelids as she recalls today. She remembers enjoying Candy Land with Tiny then her leaving without hearing Cheryl's inner protests. Then in comes Sweet Pea. He came here to take advantage of her. She relives the struggle to escape his grasp. Cheryl ran for her life with Tiny in her ear. A fancy glass and timber house that was supposedly more dangerous than a rapist on her tail. Then she hit her head.

 

"Oh my god!" Cheryl gasps shooting up from her reclining position as images of her running from the man covered in black resurface again. "Did h-he-?" She stutters with a whisper unable to form the words in her mouth.

 

"No, he didn't get the chance to," the woman says softly placing a hand on top of Cheryl's paler one. "He was in the process of removing your clothes when I got there and I told him to fuck off."

 

The redhead slides her hand from under her other captor's hand to wrap her arms around herself. Tears flood soundlessly from her eyes.

 

"He won't be back," Tiny promises gently.

 

"How are you so sure of that!" Cheryl raises her voice looking in her captor's brown orbs with her own filled with anguish and tears.

 

"I took his keys to the cabin so he can't get in even if he tried. I also called Jughead and Sweet Pea definitely won't be allowed back," the serpent explains further.

 

"Can you get the rest of the keys from the other guys?"

 

"Just so you know Fangs is more into men so he doesn't want anything to do with you like that at all. Plus you're not his type at all," she scoffs feigning some type of offense.

 

Cheryl is too mentally exhausted to even try to make note of the man's name. Or even rebuttal why she isn't the man's type or the tense tone that came out of Tiny's mouth. She just pinches the bridge of her nose hoping to stop the beating her own head is giving her.

 

Out of the corner of her eye Cheryl sees the woman leave the chair to then venture to the table. The redhead's eyes choose to follow her. She watches as she opens her purse and pulls out a small pill bottle. Tiny dumps a few into her hand before plopping back on the chair holding her hand out.

 

"It's aspirin for your head," her captor reassures reaching over to grab a hold of a water bottle. Cheryl takes the two capsules along with the bottle of water. She gulps down the pills swiftly letting out a breath only for it to come back at her and she has to hold the bridge if her nose in pain.

 

"I think I should tell you about that house now that you've physically seen it," Tiny sighs, her leg begins to shake as she continues to give an explanation about her fear that was heard through the phone as she warned Cheryl not to go in.

 

The redhead turns her body to face the woman but more importantly to put a stop to the creaking noise being created by Tiny's spastic shakes against the wooden floor. She places her hand on the serpent's knee covering it with her palm. When their eyes connect the redhead retracts her hand into her own lap.

 

"They're extremely dangerous men, Cheryl. They have an assorted variety of handguns and machine guns that they're not afraid to whip out. They're ruthless. If any of them would have seen you earlier you would've been shot on sight. The men that live there are in charge of the the shipments. I've been inside once with Jughead and lets just say I wouldn't ever go back," Tiny explains not meeting Cheryl's eyes as she stared blankly at the ground.

 

"So I'm not safe here," Cheryl finds herself whispering.

 

"No, no, you are safe. I made sure of it. Jughead informed them when you were placed here that they weren't allowed to come around snooping unless they wanna be taken out. This cabin is strictly off limits. You're precious cargo Red," Tiny reveals tilting her head to gauge Cheryl's reaction however her face is unreadable.

 

"How did you get him to agree to keeping me secure inside here?" Cheryl's eyes furrow as the intrusive side of her worms it's way out.

 

"Jug and me were friends in high school, but me joining the Southside Serpents brought us even closer. We're like family now and have been for seven years now," Tiny discloses searching for the judgement in the redhead's eyes in front of her, but shockingly didn't see a trace of it.

 

"What about Sweet Pea and-" Cheryl starts but can't seem to remember the other man's name.

 

"Fangs," Tiny reminds before taking a breath. "Well I met those two when I joined the gang. Fangs I would consider a really close friend. Sweet Pea and I didn't really click, however I treat all the boys around my age like they're my kids. I'm the mama of the gang. So being really close to Jughead has helped me get out of a few things so I'm the only woman treated with an inkling of respect."

 

"When did you join?" Cheryl notably queries.

 

"The serpents?" Upon the redhead's nod Tiny answers, "seventeen."

 

"That's really young TT," the redhead gasps. This woman is already so small and to even think of her in the dangerous notorious gang as the South Serpents as a child was unfathomable. "Why did you join?"

 

"I got kicked out by my uncle. I needed to be able to support myself, not slumming it on Jughead's couch so when it was offered up to me I didn't hesitate," Tiny says running her tongue over her lip.

 

"Please assure me that you did in fact finish high school?" Cheryl inquires hopeful for the utmost, because maybe when she does get out of here she'll give Tiny the money she won from the Candy Land board game so she can find a more legal backing.

 

"Yep, my diploma is hanging up in my house," the woman declares smugly.

 

"Have you ever thought of leaving the gang to pursue an occupation that's free from danger?"

 

"Yes, on several occasions so I can spen-" Tiny begins cutting herself off swiftly not finishing the sentence.

 

"What were you going to say TT?" Cheryl asks her eyebrows furrowing for the second time.

 

"You are aware that you don't have to know every little detail right?" Tiny lightly asks promptly migrating from her almost slip.

 

Cheryl purses her lips before rolling her shoulders back. Tiny is not on trial, she's just simply sharing her life with her. She needs to relax.

 

"I won't push further," Cheryl agrees moving on as well. "So what would you be doing if you weren't apart of an notorious gang TT?"

 

"I'd be a photographer," Tiny spills quickly her eyes visibly lighting up.

 

"What would you take pictures of?"

 

"I can only dream of taking photos for Vogue and even the New York Times Magazine. Events as well, but mostly weddings," Cheryl can hear monumental joy radiating from the serpent's words. "When I was younger I went to a wedding for someone in my family and when I tell you it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," a smile spreads across the redhead's face as she imagines a smile on Tiny's face underneath her mask as she talks openly and passionately with her hands.

 

"That's absolutely beautiful," Cheryl says dreamily as looks into the woman's big brown eyes envisioning the enchanting bonding ceremony.

 

"How was your wedding ceremony?" Tiny finds herself pondering.

 

"What?" Cheryl whispers her jaw going slack. "How do you know about my past marriage?"

 

"I read something about it online, but if you're not comfortable talking about it that's alright," her captor says gently placing her tan hand on Cheryl's bare pale thigh.

 

Cheryl's thigh tenses under the touch, but doesn't make a move to dismiss it. She clears her throat, "in all honestly it was a good night surrounded by family and friends. Although it wasn't as enchanting as you described the one you spoke about," the redhead wistfully sighs unconsciously running the pad of her pointer finger along Tiny's skinny fingers.

 

"I'm sorry to hear that," the pink haired woman sympathizes. "You'll have an enchanting wedding that you'll look back on that you'll smile about instead of frown upon someday, I genuinely believe so."

 

"And you'll be there to photograph it all?" Cheryl brazenly requests the sides of her mouth curving up into a small smile.

 

"Only if you'll have me," Tiny rasps with a light chuckle.

 

The two women sit there eyes locked unknowingly both searching for something. Cheryl is the first to break the fierce eye contact when another question comes to mind.

 

"What do you do for the serpents now?"

 

"Well now I've been put in charge of you actually. Hostage duty," Tiny shrugs.

 

"You get paid for watching me?" Cheryl cocks her head intrigued.

 

The masked woman nods removing her hand from the redhead's thigh.

 

"That's interesting," she mumbles to herself.

 

"How so?" Tiny questions and when Cheryl mimics the little shrug she did earlier she begins to further clarify. "Just so you know I don't get paid extra to be nice to you. I do that because I simply want to," the woman stands from the chair to join the redhead on the bed.

 

They arrange theirselves so that they're facing each other with their knees barely touching. "So why are you so nice to me?" Cheryl ponders aloud running her fingers along her bandaged foot to make it seem like she isn't all that interested when inside she's indeed dying to know why her captor has recently been so kind.

 

"Uh, the day we almost hung you," Cheryl whips her head up to look at Tiny as she admits  her reasoning for her change of heart, the serpent's eyes saturated in guilt. "I haven't seen anyone die in front of me before."

 

"You haven't?" The redhead lightly gasps surprised.

 

"Just because I'm in a gang doesn't mean I kill people or even revel in the thought of it," Tiny rolls her eyes at the woman across from her. "It's utterly sickening, it makes me uneasy."

 

"I can imagine that. You're too gentle TT," Cheryl jokes pompously.

 

"Okay for one; don't ever say that again or I will reconsider the rope and two which I never thought I would say but cool it with the jokes. I'm trying to be serious here," the masked woman groans her eyes slowly brimming up with tears.

 

Cheryl feels her heart constrict at the sight. She ultimately doesn't know what to do other than close her mouth to listen for the woman's next words.

 

"When I looked up at you trembling on that chair wearing a ripped and dirty nightgown pleading for God to save you I knew that we'd crossed a line. You hadn't hurt us in any way. I just felt to sick about it. I couldn't go through with it," Tiny finishes shakily a tear dropping from her eye disappearing behind the mask.

 

Cheryl's own eyes fill with tears as she moves to her knees wrapping her arms around her abductor tightly. Her tears drop onto the pink haired woman's jacket when she reciprocates the embrace.

 

"I'm sorry that this is happening to you, Cheryl. I'm trying my hardest to make this more bearable for you," Tiny breathes out squeezing her a little tighter. After both of their breathing slows back to it's original pace their both at a loss of words.

 

"Wait what was your role before me?" Cheryl questions wiping at her nose.

 

"I was in the prostitution ring," Tiny says warily watching Cheryl for her response.

 

The redhead's jaw drops open. "Not when you were seventeen right?" Her voice dripping heavily in disdain.

 

"What's it matter to you?" Tiny voices defensively.

 

"You were a minor TT. That's illegal," Cheryl reprimands crossing her arms over her chest.

 

"I'm in a gang remember?" Tiny scoffs rolling her eyes, "you don't get to judge me. Why is it that you've been fine with all of the other things I've told you, but you get pissy about what I choose to do with my body?" Tiny raises her voice jumping to standing. Her voice was loud enough to conceal the patter in of a light thunderstorm.

 

"You didn't have to sell your adolescent body to creepy men that crawled out of an alleyway!You could have gotten a normal job that other seventeen year olds get," the redhead egotistically fires back.

 

"No, I couldn't have!" Tiny blows her top breathing ragged heading for the door.

 

Dirt falls from the wooden ceiling as the cabin is shaken from the deafening boom of thunder. Chills run down Cheryl's spine as she hears the rain thump against the small buildings roof and windows. She looks back at Tiny's retreating figure. The redhead is quick to hop onto her feet, but not quick enough. The door is slammed in her face and the locks begin to sound.

 

"TT, please! Come back inside?" Cheryl tried to scream over the terrifying thunder and rain so the pink haired woman can hear her on the outside of the cabin. The redhead hopelessly places her forehead of wooden door. "I'm scared! TT!" Cheryl begs as another loud wave of thunder strikes booming in her ears making her shoulders tense then shake. The sounds of the locks on the other side is very faint, because of the rain, but is noticeable when it stills for a moment. "Please!" Cheryl pleads just one last time as she turns away from the door.

 

In a few seconds the door is open. Tiny walks in, looking up at Cheryl with eyes full of dismay searching for serenity. "I'm afraid of thunderstorms," she whispers jumping into the air when another loud boom sounds. Tiny sighs as she goes to close the door. "Can you stay throughout the night?"

 

"I don't know if I can Cheryl," the pink haired woman says with conflicted eyes.

 

As if on cue the thunder sounds again making the redhead crawl into herself. "Let me go make a quick call to see what I can do, okay?" Tiny offers watching Cheryl bite her lip then goes under her covers. After Tiny's call she assures the frightened redhead that she can stay with her tonight.

 

"Can you hold my hand?" She asks timidly biting her lip.

 

Tiny nods before taking off her boots and her leather jacket sinking into the wooden chair pulled up to the cot. The woman her slips her tan fingers in between Cheryl's pale ones.

 

"I'm sorry TT," Cheryl whispers her face turned in Tiny's direction on her pillow.

 

"I'm sorry too," Tiny whispers back rubbing the back of Cheryl's hand as another wave of thunder sounds causing the redhead to cower under the blankets.

 

"You must think I'm really immature being afraid of a thunderstorm," Cheryl says peeking up from under her blanket with rosy cheeks.

 

"Everyone's afraid of something," Tiny shrugs giving her hand a squeeze.

 

***

 

Cheryl has been awake for maybe five minutes her heart frantically jumping in her chest while pretending to still be asleep as the woman who's fingers are still clasped with hers is caressing her cheek softly. She truly doesn't know how she feels about it. Yes, her abductor, who she now views as a confidant, stroking her cheek while she suspects her to be asleep is beyond bizarre. Also the fact that the redhead was the one who requested her to stay and hold her hand in the small cot during the storm is strange. What's stranger is that she feels delighted with the newfound sensation.

 

Suddenly a cellphone begins to ring causing Tiny to spring from the wooden chair to dig for her device out of her jacket pocket. Cheryl watches the pink haired woman with her mask pulled up to barely rest above her nose intrigued to who could be calling this early. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, this was an emergency. Yes-, put her on the phone-" Tiny says leaving the cabin, shutting the door behind her.

 

Cheryl rolls onto her back staring a the wooden panels to hold the roof up willing herself not to think about missing the warmth from Tiny's hand in hers. She sighs running her fingers threw her hair. When the door creaks open Cheryl turns to see Tiny walk in with a little smile rested upon her lips, "I'm going to get you some breakfast but then I gotta head out."

 

"Okay," Cheryl says simply. "But do we still get to hang out during lunch?" The redhead asks hopefully.

 

"So is that a reoccurring thing now?" Cheryl can see and hear the smirk in the half masked woman's voice.

 

"Can it be?" Cheryl tilts her head giving Tiny the biggest smile in hopes she'll say yes.

 

"Okay, okay, whatever," Tiny chuckles. "I'll be right back."

 

Soon the masked woman returns with Cheryl's breakfast and the giddy feeling in the redhead's chest doesn't fade until she hears Tiny's ignition then her drive away.

 

***

 

When lunch rolls around after an agonizing long few hours Cheryl is ecstatic. So ecstatic she scarfs down her food and refrains herself from practically jumping into Tiny's lap as the woman stares at her phone not paying much attention to her. She doesn't think she's ever been this giddy to see someone in her whole twenty-seven years on this earth. Cheryl can't explain it, but Tiny makes her heartbeat quicken, her cheeks burn from all the wide smiles she gives the girl, and overall she just makes her feel so at ease.

 

"So what are we doing today?" Cheryl tilts her head with a curious smirk as she remembers seeing Tiny not carry in the colorful board game.

 

As the masked woman shuts off her phone to meet the other woman's eyes she says, "I was thinking about that video we need to do. We have to get it out of the way today."

 

Cheryl's taken back a bit by that but she nods with an "okay." It's quiet for a beat until the redhead asks, "so the police are still looking for me?"

 

Tiny nods, "you've been plastered all over the city. Your parents aren't fucking giving up."

 

With that information Cheryl smiles to herself brushing her hair behind her ear. "I miss them," Cheryl sighs looking down at the wooden panels.

 

"Were you really close with them?"

 

"Yes, I was. They were always so strict but very supportive of me," Cheryl blinks back tears because she knows that she'll see them again.

 

"What fun things did you do as a child other than play sudoku and finish crossword puzzles," Tiny makes light of the situation with a playful raise of her eyebrow.

 

"I used to do ballet," Cheryl admits matterafactly.

 

"No shit?"

 

"Yes ma'am you're looking at Cheryl Marjorie Blossom, the Black Swan," the redhead purses her lips sitting up straighter placing her hands on her hips to create a bird like shape.

 

"Black Swan?" Tiny questions cluelessly.

 

"Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake is a well known ballet. It mixes romance, tragedy, and magic in four acts," Cheryl explains looking into Tiny's now curious eyes. "There's a swan princess named Odette. She goes under a spell from a sorcerer which makes her spend her days as a swan swimming on a lake of tears and her nights in beautiful human form."

 

"So the Black Swan is like the evil twin or some shit?" The masked woman tries to piece up the story herself.

 

A smile spreads across Cheryl's face, "not quite. The Black Swan is actually the sorcerer's daughter. Well Odile decides to follow in her fathers footsteps. She's evil I guess, usually the lead plays both swans. However, in my dance school they in fact did have two different girls play the two different swans."

 

"Why were you the Black Swan?" Tiny chuckles curiously.

 

"I was a really big performer. Most importantly I had a mean resting bitch face," the redhead shrugs.

 

"Do you still remember the steps?"

 

"Possibly some," Cheryl closes her eyes to try to picture herself doing it again, "I haven't performed it since I was eighteen."

 

"Do it right now! Pleaseeeee," Tiny whines clasping her hands together like a child.

 

"A lot of it was with a partner. So I can't even show you if I wanted to," Cheryl somewhat fibs aware that there was written solo choreography as well.

 

"Pleaseeeee," Tiny wails our again dancing from the chair to sit beside the redhead on the bed.

 

"Okay, okay," Cheryl rolls her eyes climbing to standing. She places herself a bit further from the cot so she has more room to dance freely in the compacted space. Her brown eyes gaze over at the masked woman who is staring at her expectantly. "I haven't done this in like ten years so don't laugh if I make a fool of myself," the redhead chastises. When Tiny raises her hands in submission Cheryl decides that she should most definitely stretch.

 

She settles on the warm floor in a butterfly position, her toes touching and thighs strainingsomewhat painfully as she's lost her strength along with her limberness. "God, I'm getting old," Cheryl mumbles to herself when her hipbone cracks as she swings her right leg behind her to get a better stretch. "How old are you, TT?" Cheryl finds herself asking while rolling her ankles, switching from pressing her point and flexing her toes.

 

"I'm twenty-two," Toni answers her eyes trailing from Cheryl's pointed foot on the right to her exposed pale legs, up her thighs to travel down to her left pointed foot.

 

"Wow, now I feel even older," the redhead groans as she stretches out her arms.

 

"If it makes you feel any better at the age of twenty-seven you don't look a day over twenty-one," Tiny tries to reason.

 

"You did your research, huh?" Cheryl chuckles with a shake of her head as she casually slips into the splits. She's actually surprised that she can still spread her legs so far apart after she'd stopped going to the gym and taking yoga a few years back. Upon dead silence from the woman sitting in the chair a few feet in front of her she looks about to find her eyes slightly wide and she definitely can imagine the woman's mouth dropped open beneath the mask. "What?"

 

"Y-you're doing the splits," she gapes then the smirk is evident in her voice when she asks, "does that come in handy during sex?"

 

Bringing sex up to Cheryl makes her feel sick. She's never had any good experiences with her sexual escapades growing up or even as a full blown adult. Nothing about the act excited her. Tiny must notice the distant look in Cheryl's eyes or the stiffness in her shoulders. “What? Don't tell me you're a virgin!" Tiny unbelievably scoffs.

 

"I can assure you I'm not a virgin. I-," Cheryl takes a big breath before continuing, "I just never really have seen the appeal to it." She watches the masked woman's eyebrows furrow with both interest and confusion.

 

"What's your body count?" Tiny simply asks shoulders rising.

 

"This is not an appropriate conversation," the redhead knocks, annoyance creeping up her spine. She gets on to her feet just to lean over and touch her toes. 

 

"C'mon Red! We're adults here. I'm not going to judge you or like tell anyone," the masked woman challenges enthusiastically. "Well my body count is probably over three hundred," she admits dread hidden in her voice, however Cheryl hears it immediately. The redhead feels bad for the woman. Sleeping with filthy males to make ends meet. She doesn't even know how to respond to Tiny. "Yeah, with years of prostitution under my belt the number drastically has increased. But it wasn't all that bad, I promise."

 

Cheryl gives her a nod hoping that it'll tell the woman that's she's uncomfortable about talking about all of this, but Tiny doesn't catch on.

 

"Was you ex-husband good in bed?" Tiny asks then watches in horror when the redhead puts a halt on her stretching, her head whipping up with a frown.

 

"Can we perhaps possibly change the topic?"

 

"Uh- sure," the pink haired woman mumbles confused. ”Why didn’t you pursue a career in dance?”

 

"My parents wanted me to succeed in something more practical. I think I'm all stretched," the redhead sighs rolling back her shoulders. Suddenly the sound of violins, flutes, oboes, and many more musical instruments joining together feel the room. Cheryl's heart begins to race as she's brought back to that time when she spent so many nights alone perfecting this piece. As the strings are strummed she finds her body flowing through the motions, replicating the soft piece. She backs up on her toes ankles kissing before a foot slides up her leg in passé to développé just above her hip. When she was younger that foot went to her head, but she doesn't let that change get her down as the music grows in power. It raises her spirits when the violinist solo goes crazy creating a shift in the mood. Cheryl turns her head and her eyes meet Tiny's from across from her. She sees wonderment, fascination filled in those brown orbs. The redhead's face heats up feeling embarrassed for letting the ballet music take over her.

 

"This is my favorite part," the redhead rushes over to grab Tiny excitedly. She pulls the young woman up by her hand dragging her to the center of the room.

 

"Cheryl, what are you doing?" Tiny giggles lightly.

 

"Just hold onto my hips," the redhead smiles turning her back to the pink haired woman. Tiny places her tan hands on top of Cheryl's baggy shirt having to feel around a bit before settling on her hips. Cheryl turns to her left, rising upon her toes on one foot the other coming back behind her to create an almost leveled arabesque. Her arms float to rest above her head creating an halo effect. The small woman still holding her hips can't help but let her eyes wonder down the woman's legs. Her thigh muscles are engaged almost enticing her to smooth her fingers across the pale area.

 

"Quick take my hands," Cheryl rushes out smiling widely when her order is understood as her captor's hands frantically crawl up her arms to grab ahold of her hands. Cheryl laughs loudly as the woman struggles to reach her fingers above her head so she lowers them, turning in the woman's arms. They end up being to close to one another so the redhead can’t successfully complete the action. Cheryl's knee bumps into Tiny and that sends her stumbling back dragging Cheryl with her.

 

They both of them burst out in giggles. This is Cheryl's second time on top of Tiny, this time however she doesn't want to remove herself so quickly. "Are you okay?" Tiny asks her through laughter.

 

"Are you okay?" Cheryl asks right back through her giggles as well. When the only sound in the cabin is their giggles Cheryl figures that the song has ended so she grins goofily holding up her jazz hands, "TADA!"

 

Tiny reaches up lifting the mask onto the top of her nose. Cheryl freezes as she stares down at the woman's lips. Her lips are so plump and so pink. She wants to run her fingers on top of lip beauty mark to beauty mark at the ends of her smile.

 

"Sorry, it's getting too hot in here," Tiny breathes out. Cheryl takes that as her sign to get off of the woman.

 

"You can always take it off," the redhead sing-songs with a playful roll of her eyes.

 

The masked woman doesn't respond to the comment or take her mask off. Instead she takes off her leather jacket then stands up walk towards the wooden door. "Let's go sit on the dock," Tiny suggests as she swings the door open for Cheryl.

 

"Really?" Cheryl jumps up excitedly.

 

As they walk out to the dock Tiny gives Cheryl little praises about her dance performance she'd performed in the cabin. The redhead finds herself blushing as she looks down at her bandaged feet as she walks. They make it onto the dock and they both sit facing each other. As Tiny pulls out her phone Cheryl figures out what's happening and why they're truly outside. The woman just wants to shoot this video to save her ass and buy the serpents more time.

 

"So act like you're having fun," Tiny encourages holding up her thumb before she starts counting down on her fingers.

 

Cheryl's mood has changed again. She was all too excited to spend time with Tiny until she remembered where she's currently at, now she's a bit sour. She's been cleared to be kept alive, however still being held against her will sucks. Somehow Tiny makes this hard time bearable. She makes Cheryl forget everything bad for a moment. She lets Cheryl be her true self when she hasn't truly let anyone in for years.

 

So she switches the flip for her. Big smiles and enthusiastic voice over the top. "Hi, everyone! I know I've went off the deep end so no one has a clue to where I am. Well I can assure you that I'm safe and I'm having the best time here," Cheryl scarily convincingly lies. Tiny gets a view of the skyline along with the trees and water behind the redhead before using her free hand to shove Cheryl into the water behind her. Tiny cackles behind the camera as the woman in the water reaches the surface with a mean glare before falling into a fit of giggles with her.

 

Tiny places the phone onto the dock away from the edge to help Cheryl climb out of the water. "I'm sorry, but I had to make it a bit more convincing by adding a surprising factor," the pink haired woman apologizes with a smile.

 

As Cheryl takes the woman's helping hand she grips it tight pulling the girl into the water beside her. Cheryl evilly laughs loudly as Tiny sputters after coming back above the water. Her laughter completely stops when she realizes that the woman in front of her is struggling to breathe. She feels like her heart is about to stop functioning as the woman scrambles to find the end of her mask. Cheryl plunges into action quickly finding the bottom of the mask yanking it off Tiny's head, throwing it aside. The guilty party looks on as the now soaked woman struggles to breathe tilting her head up at the sky. "I'm sorry, I-I wasn't thinking," Cheryl apologizes with heavy regret as the woman gasps for air.

 

When her breathing finally regulates Tiny tilts her head down to face Cheryl head on. Cheryl's eyes wasn't prepared at all for what they just laid sight on. The woman's pink hair is fading far from the roots, brown hair is more apparent with curly dark brown hair curling up at it's edges. So with her hair wet now slicked behind her, her beautiful tan skin is glistening on display. She's gazing back at Cheryl with those shining big brown orbs through her long, luscious eyelashes. Her nose is visibly red along with her cheeks, her mouth is slightly parted open her bright white teeth peeking out between her brilliantly shaped lips. Cheryl finds her mouth going dry causing her to swallow. She's never seen someone so _finely exquisite_.

 

"TINY!" A familiar voice shouts from the dockcausing both girls to jump in the lukewarm lake water. Cheryl watches as Tiny climbs from the water onto the dock turning to give her another hand. This time she takes it clambering onto the dock eyes not leaving the woman's face. "Thank you," Cheryl utters quietly.

 

"What is it Jug?" Tiny says as she grabs a hold of her phone, dripping all over the deck. Cheryl feels awful as she looks at the small woman completely soaked, her shirt and jeans clinging to her body.

 

"We have to talk," Jughead urges seriously. "What the fuck are you two even doing?"

 

"We made a video for Cheryl's social media and things got a little-" Tiny starts but then trails off as they start walking towards the cabin. "What do you want to talk to me about?" The pink haired woman whispers to the man, but Cheryl can still hear her as she follows up right behind them.

 

Though the green-eyed man stays silent upon the arrival of the cabin. The two of them stay on the porch as Cheryl goes inside to dry herself and change out of her wet clothes. Once Cheryl is completely dry and changed she sits on the edge of the cot attempting to change her foot bandages.

 

As the door opens Cheryl looks at the two gang members as they stroll in with unreadable expressions. The redhead's heart starts to hammer in her chest when Tiny drops onto her knees to assist Cheryl in wrapping the bandages around her foot tightly. "Thank you," the redhead lets out, confused at her heart's response to her captor's kind aid.

 

"Cheryl, Jughead has informed me that Reggie Mantle," Tiny advises softly. Cheryl's heart drops into her stomach at the name. Her face grows blank as the woman continues speaking but it sounds muffled to the redhead. "He has been taken into questioning and the media is buzzing. We left your apartment a mess after we," Tiny pauses getting Cheryl's attention back. "After we took you there was bloody prints left down the stairs. There is an obvious sign of struggle in your bedroom. At this moment people believe he has taken you by force."

 

Cheryl doesn't know how to respond to this information as she stares into those sympathetic brown orbs. However, she doesn't know why Tiny is telling her any of this.

 

"The police are going to figure out that he hasn't done anything to you and they'll be on our tail once again. They couldn't get ahold of Jughead the first time they suspected the Southside Serpents, but we know they'll be gunning to speak to him once they come up empty handed with Mantle."

 

"Get to the point Tiny," Jughead groans.

 

"Your brother-" the pink haired woman starts again being interrupted again.

 

"JJ?"

 

"Yes, Jason. He came snooping around headquarters by himself the other day." Tiny watches as Cheryl's eyes begin to water and lip start to tremble. "The wrong guys found him and he was beaten to a pulp."

 

Cheryl feels her heart shatter in her chest as tears stream down her face. "I-Is he d-dead?" The redhead barely gets out through her sobs.

 

"No, he's alive just in intensive care," Tiny assures her running a hand down her arms. Cheryl coldly shifts away from the girl's touch like she's freezing ice. She knows that Tiny didn't have anything to do with it, but her brother wouldn't be barely hanging onto life right now if these serpents didn't decide to waltz into her home and snatch her up.

 

"I've posted the video, people have been responding well to it so far. I suspect everything will be a little better from now on. Although, this cabin might be searched by the police if they question Jughead. This cabin is in his name not his fathers so it's under the radar for now. If things do go sideways and the come find you, don't throw us under the bus," Tiny breathes out crossing her damp arms across her body.

 

"If you rat us out your entire family is dead. You hear me? DEAD!" Jughead booms standing from the chair.

 

"Okay, that's not necessary," Tiny scolds holding a hand up at him.

 

He just slaps her hand away gripping Cheryl's wet chin in his hands. "Tiny, we cant trust her! She'll turn on us. She doesn't give a rats ass about us!"

 

Cheryl cowers tears falling freely onto the man's hand. She thought she was over this point in her life. Tiny was suppose to keep them away, keep her safe. "TT, he's hurting me," Cheryl wails as his fingers squeeze harshly digging into her jaw.

 

"Jug, let her go," Tiny says sternly pushing the male away from the crying woman. Suddenly a roar of several guns going off sounds sending everyone in the cabin into a frenzy.

**Author's Note:**

> tell me how you’re feeling about this storyline, or anything really i’d like to know your thoughts,, thanks for reading :)
> 
> chat with me on twitter: @madsdobby


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